Snowpoint Mountain Reborn
by Joltthejolteon
Summary: An Eeveelution story about a Jolteon, a Glaceon, a mountain, and a cave full of others. A completely reworked version of my first story, featuring different events, and maybe an alternate ending.
1. Chapter 1

Snowpoint Mountain- An Eeveelution Story

This will be a complete rewrite of my previous story of the same name. I'm doing it better this time around.

Chapter 1: Snowpoint

The city of Snowpoint was as it had always been; cold enough to freeze one to their core, but bustling with life and activity nonetheless. Being a port city, this was a given, but not even the deep snow drifts and icy winds would stop people and Pokémon alike from taking advantage of the unique climate. From specialized training to snow sports, and even just innocent playing, the snow that the city based itself off of provided a steady stream of new people and Pokémon to keep it alive and bustling.

It was in this frigid city that a Jolteon sat in a cardboard box, nestled tightly in several blankets. The bitter autumn cold had already set in and leaving his "nest" for even a few minutes was unappealing. The Jolteon would watch the people and Pokémon walk by the alleyway that he sat in all day and was left mostly undisturbed by them. Though he was a slightly rare Pokémon, many of the town's inhabitants must have preferred the other members of his evolutionary chain to him, because passing glances were the most that he managed to interact with them. This Jolteon hadn't always been a street urchin, however. Once, he had been the pet and partner of a man who had lived in the city. This man had raised him from nearly the time of his birth, to the time that he had evolved, and the two had been as close as a master and Pokémon could have been. However, as time progressed and the man grew, he became increasingly focused on other things, such as starting a family.

The Jolteon's master had met a woman one night and fell deeply in love with her, but the Jolteon did not share his sentiments. Before long, the woman had moved in and stank up his entire life with her scent. The spot on the bed he shared with his master was now occupied. The couch where he enjoyed lazy naps became off limits. The food his master had shared with him started to come from cans and bags rather than the human's plate. The time, love and affection that had once belonged only to the Jolteon was now reduced to bits and scraps of the once unbreakable bond that it had been. And one day, when the woman had angrily swatted him off the couch he was laying on, the Jolteon turned around, bristled his many spikes, and shot the woman's legs with many electrified spines, hospitalizing her for a short while. That very same day, his trainer had wrapped him in several blankets, put him in an old cardboard box, and dumped him in the alleyway where he now sat.

Presently, the Jolteon was gnawing at the remains of his lunch; a few pieces of sausage and some beef scraps that a sympathetic human had been kind enough to throw to him. The ground he ate off of was cold but the meat was still warm, and the warmth spread pleasantly to the rest of his body as he ate. Just as the final morsel had vanished into his mouth and he prepared to return to his makeshift den, a commotion across from his alley caught his attention. Upon further inspection, the Jolteon determined that a fight was going on based on the shouting. However, when he poked his head around the corner, there was only one human flailing around. Pokémon battles were not uncommon, but this human was the only character to be seen.

The Jolteon debated whether or not to investigate further. The situation did not involve him at all, and a sudden breeze tossed his soft yellow pelt around and siphoned the little bit of warmth from his body with its icy kisses, making the blankets behind him look more inviting than ever before. However, he simply felt compelled to move closer to the situation that was unfolding.

As soon as he crept out of the alley, his paws immediately sank into cold, wet snow, but he persisted. The street was barren of anyone else besides this human, but the Jolteon moved as silently as he could anyway, as if being detected was fatal. He closed the gap between the alley and the human in seconds, but each step he took felt like an eternity. However, he stopped short just a few feet behind the human when he saw what he was doing.

The human was not flailing his arms in panic like the Jolteon had originally suspected. Instead, he was kicking the snow in front of him over and over while cursing angrily. In a small mound of snow lay a Glaceon on her back, covering her underbelly and crying out while the human kicked her over and over again. The entire situation baffled the Jolteon. This human couldn't have been her master, masters did not harm their own Pokémon. Why did she lay down and take it, instead of freezing the human where he stood? What could have made this human so mad in the first place?

"Useless!" Screamed the man, snapping the Jolteon back to reality. Now was not the time for questions. He crouched low and growled as golden sparks began to jump from his pelt. His fur turned from its silky relaxed state into electricity-hardened daggers, and no sooner had the man spun around than the Jolteon released the electrical energy he had built. The lightning struck the man square in the chest and sent him flying backwards into the middle of the street, leaving a large smeared imprint on the snow. For a second, none of the three moved. Time stood still until the man, once overcome with anger, became overcome with terror, and ungracefully scrambled to his feet and fled the scene.

The electric Eevee watched him run until his form had faded away into the distance, then turned his attention over towards the lump of snow that held the Glaceon. He approached cautiously, hardly daring to breathe, and peered at her. Despite the man's assault, her chest and sides were bruised but whole, and she didn't appear to be bleeding anywhere. Her breathing was fast but not shallow, and she appeared to be far more stunned and dazed than in actual pain. While he was examining her, the Glaceon suddenly opened her eyes, and her gaze snapped to meet the Jolteon's. When their eyes met, neither spoke. The Jolteon found himself gazing into the frosty Eevee's crystal blue eyes, and nearly drowned in them; in that moment, he had forgotten to breathe.

The sudden screaming of his lungs for air broke the trance that she held him in, and the Jolteon shook his head and bridged the rest of the gap between them, albeit cautiously. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out at first; he felt almost bewitched by this creature. As unsettling as that was however, the situation demanded that he should ignore that feeling for now. "I, uh… I was that… he…" The Jolteon's voice suddenly trailed off. The first interaction he had had with another Pokémon in a while, and he was absolutely blowing it. Finally, he managed an unceremonious "…You okay?" Rather than respond, she simply nodded and shakily rose to her feet. The Jolteon was forced to reconsider his assessment however, because after no more than ten steps, the Glaceon promptly collapsed in the snow.

The easiest thing for him to have done then would have been to turn around and march straight back to his den of blankets. This thought was so repulsive however, that it didn't even occur to the Jolteon until he was halfway to the nearest Pokémon center with the ice-type on his back, and even then, he quickly pushed it out of his mind. Despite how surprisingly warm her body was on his back, it did little to stave off the biting cold that now whipped his body from all sides out in the open. The snow crunched loudly under his paws as he trudged through it as quickly as he could, trying his best not to injure her further. When he finally did arrive, the red and white lights were a godsend to the half-frozen creature.

After stepping through the sliding doors, the change in temperature was staggering. A fire roared in a large stone and brick hearth in the center of the room. Pokémon and people sat around it and on various couches and chairs, talking amongst themselves or to the medical staff. As warmth again flooded his body, the Jolteon quickly made his way over to a Chancey that was stationed behind a counter. When she saw the two of them, her bored expression shifted into one of concern, and she quickly got up from where she sat and approached them.

"I don't really know what happened. She was being kicked by a human over and over when I saw them, and I- "The Jolteon stopped when the Chancey raised a hand to silence him.

"We'll take your report afterwards. Does she have a pokeball?"

The Jolteon shook his head no, causing the Chancey to swear quietly and press a red button on the desk that she had been sitting at. A mere few seconds later, another nurse Chancey arrived with a small gurney and together the pair lifted the injured Glaceon onto it, then quickly wheeled her away into the medical wing of the center, leaving the Jolteon alone.

As he sat by a space heater in an unoccupied corner of the center, the Jolteon groomed himself and decided his next course of action. It would probably be best if he were to return to his den, as the situation was now out of his hands. However, something told him to stay where he was and wait, though that may have been more from the space heater than the thought of the Glaceon he had saved. Having finished his bath, the electric-type moved himself over to a pillow nearby and collapsed on it. He thought about the gaze they had shared, and wondered why it had affected him so intensely. Nothing had ever really impacted him like that before. At least, not to the same degree. He had met plenty of other Pokémon before, but most of that was when he was slightly younger. When he began to mature, his trainer began keeping him more as a pet as opposed to a partner, which meant that the amount of interaction he had with other Pokémon reduced drastically. Perhaps, he thought, that this was just a scientific explanation for why he'd become dumbstruck when a pretty girl looked at him. The Jolteon's normal yellow cheeks turned a warm rosy color.

Some time had passed since they had arrived, because when the Jolteon lifted his head from the pillow, the windows were black from the night. His timing was perfect too, because as he looked around the room, he saw the Chancey from before walking towards him. Standing up from the pillow, he padded along the carpeted floor to meet her.

"First things first, that Glaceon is going to be fine," the Chancey started in a warm tone, much to the Jolteon's relief. "Her injuries were more internal than external, but thanks to you bringing her in so quickly, her treatment was easy and her recovery was fast. Also, we took her statement when she came to, and already passed it on to the police department, so there's no need for you to explain yourself." The Jolteon wondered if he had been suspected of anything, but the nurse continued, "she should be coming out any time now, and if you'll wait a little longer, I think she wants to meet you." He just nodded back at the nurse and thanked her, though as she walked away, he couldn't figure out why she sounded almost bubbly when she mentioned the last part.

Just as the Chancey had said, the Glaceon he had rescued came walking over not long afterwards. Her steps were graceful and so quiet that the Jolteon saw her reflection in the mirror he looked out of before he heard her come from behind him. When he turned around, their eyes locked for a second time, but this time he quickly shut them and offered her a warm smile. This caught the Glaceon off guard, but she sat down beside him and smiled back anyway.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did," she began softly, looking down at his feet. "I don't really have anything to offer you except for an explanation though, so I hope that will suffice for now…" When he remained silent, she took it as her cue to continue. "That guy was my trainer- former trainer. He used to be so sweet and kind to me, but… lately, he became obsessed with battling after a run in with his childhood rival. We began training and fighting over and over again, each time more intensely than the last, but… I just couldn't keep up with his demands." The Jolteon across from her just nodded understandingly. "Earlier today, I just stopped listening. I wanted my old trainer back, I don't even like fighting that much, but he… h-he wouldn't have it." When her voice caught in her throat and her eyes became moist, she was surprised to feel a paw on her lips, silencing her.

"We're more than just their tools or their pets," the Electric type said, his voice as soothing as he could make it. "You don't need to worry about that human anymore." The Glaceon nodded silently as he said that, but she began to tremble ever so slightly. The idea of being alone, abandoned on the streets had terrified her up until that point. The Jolteon picked up on that, so he shifted around the topic. "My name's Jolt," he said, offering her another smile. "What's yours?"

"Snow…" She responded quietly, but looked up and met his kind gaze. It was strange to her, another Pokémon, a total stranger showing her such kindness. "W-Why are you being so nice to me?" she blurted out, catching Jolt off-guard. "You could've walked away or left me there or anything else, but you carried me all the way here and waited around until I recovered. Why is that?"

Jolt really didn't have an answer to her question. "I… I guess I didn't like seeing you getting hurt from one of the bad humans…" Snow realized then that he had probably been in the same situation as her and wondered if anyone had come to his aid. "Anyway, listen," Jolt continued, recapturing Snow's attention. "I, uh… I'm guessing that you won't be going back to that human, will you?"

"Never," came her slightly bitter response.

"In that case… maybe you and I should stick together? It'd probably be a lot easier on both of us if we worked together… or something…" Jolt glanced up at her, waiting for her reply, but he felt his heart sink when she remained silent. 'Yeah, of course not Genius. You met her a few hours ago, what were you thinking?' he chastised himself.

"Yeah, you might be right…" Snow said quietly, shattering Jolt's negative thoughts. "But I don't want to live on the streets, around the humans. I want to be wild again."

Jolt paused for a moment. He knew nothing about surviving in the wild, having been around humans since he had hatched. Still, the thought of returning to his tiny mound of blankets alone again was even less appealing. He hadn't realized just how starved for attention he was until he thought about being alone again.

"If you'll let me tag along, Ill follow you," Jolt finally said. He hoped he wasn't pushing things too fast with someone he really didn't even know, but when he looked back at Snow, she was beaming at him. Jolt had never seen a cuter smile… wait, what?

"Snowpoint Mountain." Snow said, confidently. "Let's go there and carve something out for ourselves."

Jolt just nodded, trying hard to hide the blush that was once again forming in his cheeks. And just like that, the two of them stepped out into the icy night. The wind had stopped, and a light snow had begun to fall, reflecting the millions of city lights in each tiny flake. The distant sounds of the inner-city bustle echoed through the streets as they walked together, Snow in the lead, and talked about their old lives and their hopes for their new ones. In the distance, Snowpoint Mountain loomed, its icy surface turned to silver by the moonlight.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been four long days since the Jolteon and Glaceon had decided to embark upon the journey to carve out a new life for themselves. The mountain was massive and offered a great many habitats and places for Pokémon to live, with a few dotted cabins containing humans as well. However, for as gigantic as the mountain was, the lower areas were filled to the brim with all kinds of Pokémon, leaving no room at all for the two Eeveelutions. They had been forced successively upwards in their search, and the higher they climbed, the harder it became to fill their bellies and keep any semblance of warmth in their bodies.

While the conditions had been tolerable before, as they began to near the top section of the mountain, a fierce blizzard rolled over them. The sharp air and thick snow covered them like a blanket, and turned the clear blue of the sky, and everything else for that matter, into the dull white of the snow. Even having evolved to adapt to these conditions, Snow felt the cold and the altitude sap her strength with each step she took. It was no wonder that Jolt looked like a glassy shell of a Jolteon as he staggered behind her. The only force that drove him onward was a fierce determination to stay with his companion; without her, he had no hope whatsoever of surviving the blizzard's onslaught. Still, things looked grim for them as they wandered for hours and the blizzard showed no signs of easing its fury.

When Snow suddenly stopped short, Jolt walked straight into her rear from behind. She let out a gasp of surprise that was nearly swallowed by the howling winds, and quickly turned around to face him. Even if she had been angry at him for that, her anger would've quickly been replaced by a cold fear when she saw the state her companion was in. Ice clung to each of his spikes, a thick layer of snow blanketed his body, and his face was deathly pale. "Jolt…?" She asked him to his face, but was met only with silence, as if her words just bounced off of him. Though far from a medical expert, even she knew that he was in bad shape.

Snow didn't waste her breath talking. She immediately began to dig into the deep snow as fast as she could, until she had hollowed out a small alcove. Jolt barely even reacted when she shoved him into it, then climbed in herself, and covered them both with snow, leaving only a small hole to the surface for fresh air.

Even being surrounded by ice and snow, the absence of the cutting winds immediately warmed their bodies, though this would be far from adequate. Snow carefully slipped her arms around Jolt's back and pulled him into a tight hug, fostering warmth between their bodies through direct contact.

She may not have been as warm as a Flareon, but eventually the snow around them melted and formed a decent insulation, and with that, the color began to return to Jolt's face. He had barely even moved since entering the den, but as his bodily functions began to return to him, so too did his mental ones. All at once, he became aware of the situation he found himself in; laying in a tiny den, snuggled up very tightly to the pretty girl he'd been following around the past few days. A new color then found its way into his cheeks- deep red.

Snow opened her eyes when she felt Jolt's heart began to beat faster and harder in his chest. She listened to it for a while and took inventory of her body, feeling her arms and legs, and the spot on her back where his arms locked her in an embrace. Though she did not know why, that feeling made her want to not move. She wanted to just lay in the den with him for hours longer, days even. He felt so warm next to her, so soft, so strong…

Snow sat up so quickly that she broke the roof of the den, sending snow cascading down on their bodies and inviting the winds to tear at them once again. Jolt cried out in surprise at the rather rude return to the freezing temperatures and biting air. "W-We have to keep moving!" the ice-type stammered loudly as she stood up and turned away from the Jolteon. "If we stay much longer, we'll just end up starving to death!" Without even waiting for a response, she quickly started off into the blizzard again, forcing the confused Jolteon to leave the fading warmth of the den and follow.

Several more hours of slogging through deep snow followed, in a direction Snow could only hope was down the mountain. However, the snow storm refused to die down at all and to make matters worse, night was falling, reducing both the already poor visibility and the temperatures even further. By now, Snow was ready to drop form sheer exhaustion, and the fact that Jolt was even still alive, let alone following her was a miracle in itself. Still, in another hour or two, it was likely that the snow would bury them and become both of their graves. With nothing in sight and not a spark of hope left, Snow just stopped dead in her tracks again, though this time careful to avoid having Jolt run into her again. The Glaceon felt the pit of hopelessness that had been growing in her chest for hours suddenly expand, sucking every part of her down into it. When she turned to face him, the tears in her eyes were already frozen. She moved forward and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his neck and nearly knocking the half-dead Jolteon over.

"I'm sorry…" she sobbed quietly into the frozen yellow fur. "It was stupid of us to come up here… I-I'm so sorry, Jolt."

When he didn't reply, Snow began to fear that he had froze right there. However, as a weak numbness began to dull her senses, she jolted away from him to discover weak sparks jumping from his body. A faint light emanated from the Jolteon as more and more sparks cascaded off of him, turning the dark snow around them gold. Without warning, Jolt suddenly arched his back and fired off a blinding thunderbolt, which curved in the air and flew off into the distance. And with that he slumped over, the last of his strength exhausted.

"Jolt…?" Snow called to him slowly. An icy helplessness, even colder than the snow around them began to course throughout her body as she looked down at him. She couldn't even cry as she collapsed over him, burying her head into his neck again, only this time it was cold and lifeless. Snow curled her body around Jolt as best she could and wailed into the unforgiving blizzard, cursing the mountain for taking her companion away from her. She was alone now, truly alone again, and the helplessness that realization brought called forth a desire for her to chase after him into the next life. Even if she did not know him very well, even though they had only been together for a few short days… being with him in another life was better than being alone in this one.

As Snow began to give herself over to the elements, a deep calm washed through her like a gentle wave, sweeping the anguish and fear she felt out of her body and away with the storm. She closed her eyes and allowed the calm to sweep her away, and for the first time since the storm had hit them, she felt a small, distant warmth, like a fire far away. As she drifted further and further, she felt very aware of Jolt's soft body under her, around her, and the warmth of the fire that approached. It got closer and closer as Snow drifted farther and farther, and as she drifted off completely, she could swear that she heard voices. Perhaps they were those of Pokémon in the next life, come to welcome her and her Jolteon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first thing Jolt became aware of as his senses started to return was the warmth coursing through his limbs. He hadn't felt this good since bringing Snow to the Pokémon center. Not even resting with her under the blanket of snow was this warm, though he had enjoyed it… When Jolt opened his eyes, everything was blurry and distorted. He tried to move, but his limbs refused to budge, so he gave that up. He could barely even move his head, so he strained his eyes to see what was in front of him. In front of him, his vision was a pale blue, with a dark spot in the middle. It took almost a full minute of staring and squinting before his vision cleared enough for him to make out the big blue diamond that was the telling mark of a Glaceon's back. 'Snow…' he thought, and once again tried to force his body to move. He was met with small success this time and managed to bring a shaky paw up to her back. Through it, he felt warmth radiating off her body, and the rising and falling of her breathing. 'She made it…' Jolt thought, relieved, and let the paw fall to the floor as sleep overtook him once again.

When the Jolteon awoke the second time, his mind and vision were much more clear than they had been previously. He sat up without thinking, but was glad to find that he could move again. However, when he glanced down at the spot that Snow had been in previously, his gaze was met with warm, glowing stone, not Glaceon. When the yellow Eeveelution turned his head, he was met with a roaring fire, and had to shield his eyes for a brief moment. Only when his eyes had begun to adjust did he finally notice them; the silhouettes across from him, their shadows dancing with the swaying fire.

Jolt did not feel fear, but curiosity. He looked up past the fire, to discover the last thing that he ever thought he would have seen; every single member of his evolutionary chain was staring right back at him. Jolt blinked, then rubbed his eyes and looked again in disbelief. They were still there, and still staring at him.

"…Am I dead?" he blurted out without thinking. The cave was then filled with the echoes of giggling and laughter. Without responding, another Jolteon stood up.

"My name is Sparky," she said, trying to make herself sound as official as she could. "Welcome to my cave."

Jolt said nothing and just stared at the Jolteon, who smiled warmly back at him, as if she was almost excited to see him. The silence lasted an uncomfortable amount of time, which elicited a few more quiet giggles from one of the others.

Sparkly looked around awkwardly, then just sat down and continued speaking, albeit in a more normal tone than she had previously. "N-No, you aren't dead, by the way. You almost were, but we found you buried in the snow and brought you back just in time."

"That thunderbolt of yours sure was bright," a Flareon chimed in. "Led us straight to you guys."

Sparky nodded. "And, uh… Snow already told us what happened to you guys. We're not gonna kick you out or anything…"

The entire interaction had moved along very quickly to the still half-dazed Jolteon, but he just nodded at his female counterpart, who seemed to be the leader of this group. His eyes now adjusted to the light, he managed to get a good look at every other creature there. They were all looking at him intently, this almost being amplified by the light of the fire that danced in each pair of eyes. He spotted Snow on one end of the group, who looked like she still needed a good night's sleep. She didn't appear concerned however, so Jolt lowered his guard, and turned to face Sparky. "Thank you for saving us…" he said quietly. The other Jolteon beamed.

"I was born in captivity, like you were I'm guessing," Sparky began as she slowly stood up. She padded over and sat next to him, which Jolt found a little odd, but did not protest. "My mother and father were both the Pokémon of my former trainer." Her voice seemed to falter for a moment, but then she regained her composure and continued. "They died when I was young. My 'loving' trainer was distraught, and decided that I reminded him too much of his beloved Pokémon. He didn't want me around, so he abandoned me in the forest at the base of this mountain." Sparky paused again and scrunched up her face, as if just recalling the memories left a bitter taste in her mouth. "After I got over the shock and pain of abandonment, I started looking for shelter, and a place I could call home. I was still an Eevee then, and was lucky I didn't run into anyone in a foul mood. I moved up the mountain, trying to get away from the possibility of Pokémon I couldn't defend myself against, when I stumbled across this small cave. It was the first and only place that I found was empty, so I decided to stay. Been here ever since."

She took a deep breath after she finished, and Jolt couldn't help but feel bad for her a little, as he could recall the painful memories of his own trainer all too fondly. When Sparky inched herself closer to him and he felt her pelt brush against his, he let her, not wanting to be mean after she had just opened up to him.

There was another brief silence until the Vaporeon suddenly spoke up. "My names River," she started. Her voice was smoother and deeper than Sparky's and Jolt couldn't tell if it was because of her typing, or if she was older than the Jolteon. "I, like Sparky, was born into captivity," she continued. "My family and I traveled here from another region… Hoenn, I think. Vacationing. We were supposed to be having fun, but the entire time, they kept on acting so strangely…" River trailed off and looked down at her paws. When she looked back up, Jolt saw her eyes shining with a few fresh tears. "I… I don't even know what happened… When I woke up on the last day of our trip, my family, they… th-they were just gone. Everywhere I looked, they were just gone!" She paused again, and the rest of the Eeveelutions looked on understandingly. The Umbreon even moved from where she sat and put a comforting paw on River's back. "I just wandered around for a while after that. I stayed at one of those Pokémon centers for a while, and spent days watching the door, waiting for my family to burst through it and take me home with them… but no one ever came. After that, I just… left. I wandered around for weeks until I made my way up this mountain. Truth be told, I didn't think I would ever make it back down, but at that time, that was fine by me. When I ran into Sparky one night, half dead from hunger and exhaustion, she practically forced me to come back with her." After this, River fell silent, but shot Sparky a grateful look, even through her tears. She started chewing an Oran berry to help muffle her quiet sniffling while the Leafeon sitting on her other side began to speak, starting quickly to cover for her friend.

"I'll go next. My name's Sky." When she spoke, Jolt noticed a lot of confidence in her voice. That, or perhaps she was just being loud… "I grew up in the wild with my parents," Sky continued without pause, though her voice did soften some. "One day, while exploring the forests around our home, I found a big, green rock, covered in moss. The closer I got to it, the more it just seemed to hum with some sort of power. It drew me in closer and closer, and then, without me knowing when or how it happened, I had evolved into the super cute body you're looking at now." Sky purred the last part and chuckled to herself as she watched the male Jolteon's eyes carve down her form, loving the attention. "They didn't recognize me at first. My parents, I mean," she continued with a slight smirk. "Anyway, I left home after my parents passed, and traveled around for about a year until I met Sparky at the base of this mountain. We talked for a bit, and I told her I was ready to settle down. She offered me a place here, and I accepted." She then paused for a moment, feigning deep thought. "It's too bad this place is so remote, though. There haven't been any males here…" The Flareon shot her an annoyed glance, which made her giggle. "Any males who aren't total idiots, I mean." When sky sat back down next to the annoyed-looking fire type, Jolt couldn't help but wonder why she would have mentioned the last part. It made him a little uneasy, though he would gladly take a slight uneasiness in the warm cave instead of a cold death outside of it.

"Anyway," said the Umbreon, speaking up without warning. "I'm midnight." There was something about her smooth, low purr of a voice that just seized the attention of the entire room when she spoke. All the while, she gazed intently at Jolt, and he felt trapped- no, captivated by her piercing crimson gaze. Though Jolt had never met an Umbreon before, the few dark types he had tended to be shifty, even nefarious to a point. 'I'm definitely going to have to keep my guard up around her,' he thought, reading into it so deeply that he didn't even realize that Midnight wanted this exact reaction from him. "I've got pretty much the same story as River, except I've never known any kind of family like that. I got here on some luxury cruise ship." She stopped briefly and chuckled to herself, as if the memory of this was amusing to her. "I accidentally stumbled on that boat one day while I was hanging around Petallburg Harbor. No one knew I was wild. The food was pretty damn good there, too. Sometimes, I go down to the town just to get some. I know this one shop owner with a big heart and even bigger strips of bacon~." The hint of mischief in her voice seemed more exciting to Jolt than cause for concern, and Midnight was admittedly alluring in a way that the Jolteon hadn't experienced before. "Anyway, I wandered around the city, but I didn't like it. Too many humans. So I came up here, and the rest is history." When Midnight lowered her head back down into her paws, she kept her gaze on Jolt the entire time, the wry smile she wore never leaving her lips. She was so captivating that Jolt failed to notice angry looks some of the other girls were shooting her. Midnight reveled in their envy.

The Espeon didn't move much from her position, but just looked at them. There was something about her dark eyes that Jolt got lost in for a minute when he shifted his gaze away from Midnight. Finally, when she was the one holding his gaze, she spoke. Her voice was mysterious and hypnotic, almost seductive. "I am Ruby. I personally don't care much for my life before I was abandoned up here by my trainer." If Ruby was bitter about the experience, she hid it well behind a wall of apathy. She looked unphased by anything that had happened or been said so far, leaving Jolt to question if all Espeons were like that. "However," she continued, snapping Jolt back to attention, "Sparky and River found me not far from here, close to death. I had gotten into a fight with an Abomasnow, while I was weakened by hunger. The fight took up all my strength, and I am grateful that I was found and offered refuge." After that, Ruby promptly stopped talking, and returned to gazing at Jolt with her head on her paws, just as Midnight had done. Though the Jolteon found her exceedingly beautiful, her calculating demeanor put him on edge almost as much as Midnight had, though in a different way.

There was a long pause after Ruby had introduced herself, until finally the Flareon stood up and spoke. Judging by her voice, she seemed a little younger than Jolt, just entering adulthood. "My name is Flame, after my idiot trainer tried to name me flamethrower, then flame wheel." Sky started giggling again, but a burning glance from Flame suddenly silenced all but her smile. With cheeks that seemed slightly more red than the rest of her, she continued. "I guess Flame just stuck. Anyway, like I said, my trainer was an idiot. He was always picking fights and using me in battles I had no chance in. Eventually, I got sick of it and cut and ran, where I made it onto a boat like midnight. I think this was somewhere in Jhoto, but I forget the place. Anyway, I ended up here, and made straight for the mountain. I figured I'd at least have a type advantage if anyone attacked." Sky opened her mouth to make another remark, but Flame stopped her before she could begin by stepping on her head and pushing her mouth closed. "I ended up here," she continued, despite Sky's struggling. Jolt found himself struggling not to laugh, which brought a small smile to Flame's lips. "They offered me a place to stay, and I agreed. And now I light all the fires. Lucky me. It's nice to finally have a boy around here, Jolt. I hope you guys decide to stay." With that, she laid back down, releasing Sky from her spot under her paw. Jolt began to wonder if there was something going on with the Eeveelutions in this cave, as they were all staring very intently at him. In the corner, Snow felt her insides stir whenever the others mentioned her companion, but she refused to question why.

Lastly, the Sylveon spoke, with her voice being higher than the rest. Jolt guessed she was probably the youngest, just barely entering adulthood. Although, the only other Sylveon he had ever met had also had a rather high-pitched. 'Maybe they just sound like that?' he wondered. "My name is Breeze, it's a pleasure to meet you," she began politely. Compared to some of the others, the formality seemed a little out of place, but Jolt thought it was almost cute coming from her. "I was born in the Unova region, but I migrated here in search of adventure." For whatever reason, Jolt couldn't picture her being the adventurous type, but perhaps she was older than he gauged her to be. "I traveled around Sinnoh for about a year, but I always liked Snowpoint city the best. The cold weather doesn't bother me much. I was walking around this mountain and the forest below it one day, when I ran into Midnight. She told me a bunch of other Eeveelutions were living in a cave near the top of the mountain, so I figured I'd come check it out." Next to Jolt, Sparky shifted, as if she remembered all of this. "Sparky said I could stay as long as I liked," Breeze explained, confirming Jolt's theory. "At first, I figured I'd only stick around for a few weeks. But the place grew on me, and I decided to stay. Although, like with what Sky said, I wish more males came up here. It's good to see you, Jolt." Breeze winked at him as she laid back down, making Jolt become even more weary of all these Pokémon who were taking a very sudden interest in him. He really wasn't used to this much attention, but again, it was much better than being out in the snow.

Sparky stood, and the rest of them each formally welcomed Jolt and Snow, then retreated back into the cave, some to their own dens for rest, others to another's to whisper about the newcomers. "And there you have it." Sparky said, capturing Jolt's attention once more. "One big happy family. You're both welcome to stay as long as you wish." She showed them to two rooms, each with bedding made of leaves and thresh, and a fire in a corner that Flame had lit. Jolt guessed that these rooms were prepared while they had been unconscious, and just looking at the den made his limbs once again feel heavy with fatigue. Snow thanked her and headed straight for bed, while Jolt lingered with Sparky in the hallway for just a moment. "Hey, thanks Sparky," he began, fighting off a yawn as he did. "It's pretty safe to say we would've been screwed without you guys, and I'll find a way to repay you all."

"Don't mention it, I was happy to help," she replied. Then, her eyes softened, giving Jolt a half-lidded gaze that caused his pulse to quicken just a little. She slowly began to move and encircled Jolt a few times, brushing up against him, barely concealing her seductive intentions at that moment. When she finished looking her male counterpart up and down, she nuzzled his cheek before saying, "I really hope you choose to stay." Jolt stood there, frozen, which made Sparky giggle, and smile at him cutely. "Goodnight, Jolty. ~" She purred, leaving him with her predominantly on his mind for a few minutes, before he simply succumbed to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter4

When Snow awoke, daylight was streaming through the rocky entrance to the room she had slept in. The milky white light of a cloudy day illuminated the walls that she hadn't been able to see clearly by the light of the fire, revealing perfectly sanded walls, ceilings and floors. Snow gazed at her surroundings for a moment, wondering how long it had taken for the cave to form, and slowly rolled upright onto her haunches. She hadn't thought she would be exhausted enough to completely miss the sunrise, but the storm of the previous night had taken its toll on her, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. She laid in her bed of leaves for a moment, thinking about the events of the previous night.

' _I don't like the way they were looking at Jolt.'_ she thought to herself. _'It's not like they even know him or anything…'_ She then paused for a moment. When she thought about it, she had to admit that she herself didn't exactly know him very well either. 'But still…' came the thought again, nagging at her. 'I was there first.'

Snow pushed the memories of the previous night's introductions out of her head when she realized that they were making her grumpy just by remembering them. Not only that, but it almost frightened her how much power they had over her emotions. While she did _like_ her travelling companion, Snow hadn't thought of him as anything but that until that petty jealousy had reared its ugly head. They had only met a few days prior, it was way too soon for her to have any of these feelings. So… why did she?

Jolt had gotten up a few hours before snow, despite his previous exhaustion the night before. Flame had woken him up, and though she almost looked nervous to, asked if the Jolteon wanted to go collect berries for breakfast with her. While it was sudden, Jolt didn't want to be a bad guest, especially considering they had literally saved his life the previous night, so he agreed to go. When he nodded, the way her face lit up was admittedly adorable.

"It's usually just me getting all the food, and occasionally one of the others tags along," Flame explained, obviously still a little sleepy.

"Just you? That's a lot of food for one Pokémon to carry…" Jolt replied, developing a new respect for the Flareon.

Flame just shrugged and nodded. "I guess I'm the best suited to getting through all the thick snow that builds up over the night." Jolt had to agree that that made sense. With that, they started down the mountain, each with a satchel hanging on their sides. "We've found a lot of things over the years," Flame had explained to a surprised Jolt when he saw the human-made bags.

The Flareon showed him where the most bountiful sites were, burning paths into the deep, thick snow with her powerful flamethrower when she needed to. When they got to one of the sites, Jolt was confused. There was nothing there, just a bunch of snow-covered trees and a clearing. It wasn't until the Flareon's flames melted away the snow and reveal hidden berry bushes that Jolt really came to see the reasoning behind her being picked for this chore. The Snow cascaded down from the bushes and trees as a literal waterfall, leaving the surrounding area quite warm compared to the rest of the mountain. After this they got to work, picking berries at random and placing them in their bags while Jolt's mind buzzed with questions and Flame's with thoughts about the handsome male she kept sneaking peeks at when she thought he wasn't looking.

"So, I saw you and Sky last night kinda close. What's the story?" Jolt asked, trying to both start a conversation and answer a question he'd had. Flame giggled, a small jet of flame leaping from her mouth as she did.

"We used to fight all the time, she reminisced while picking the last few berries from the bush she stood in front of. "I singed her tail once by accident while lighting a fire, and then, for almost a year, we were at each other's throats constantly. I'd accidently singe her or 'forget' to light her fire, and when I woke up, she'd have given me a 'haircut' with those leaf blades of hers. Both Flame and Jolt laughed at that, then began to strip the last bush of its fruit, standing side by side. "It got so bad that one day, we got into an all-out brawl in the main chamber," the Flareon continued. "Then, out of nowhere, Sparky blasted us both so hard, we ended up crashing right there. When we came to, she made the two of us actually talk to each other, and wouldn't you know, she's actually pretty cool... For a weed, anyway." The two Eeveelutions grinned and giggled together as they finished the bush, then set off back up the mountain.

"I guess Sparky is pretty strong to have knocked the both of you out cold," Jolt remarked as they walked. However, to his surprise, Flame paused, then turned around to face him.

"Yeah, but that was back then. I-I've gotten much stronger!" she whined. Flame did _not_ want to lose to Sparky like that again, especially when it came to Jolt. To prove her point, she turned around and unleashed a massive ball of fire. The heat and force from the blast hit Jolt like a wave and nearly knocked him over. When the flames dispersed, the snow within 50 feet of the blast had simply been vaporized, leaving the gray rock underneath exposed. Jolt shuddered to think of being blasted by that.

When Flame turned around to face Jolt again, the awed look on his face made her pride surge and her confidence boost. "Told ya~" she smirked. All Jolt could do was nod his head.

"If you want…" Jolt began as the two neared the entrance to the cave, "I'll help you with this chore again some time."

Flame was grateful that she was in the lead so that he couldn't see the blush that had seeped into her cheeks. "I… I'd like that, Jolt. And thanks for helping me thins morning, too," she responded after a minute. Flame only had a moment to calm herself before the two entered the cave. When the stepped inside and shook the frost off their backs, Ruby was already waiting for them in the main chamber. The Espeon didn't move so much as an inch as they entered, and just stared through them, her dark eyes refusing to might be thinking. Jolt looked at her quizzically while Flame just looked away to avoid catching her eye. "I have no idea when she sleeps, or if she even does," Flame whispered in Jolts ear after a minute."

"I didn't even need to sense your thoughts to hear that, Flame," Ruby mused. "You aren't as quiet as you think you are." Jolt and Flame both froze instantly. After a moment, Flame quickly lit the central fire and sat down, using the fire to separate herself from the Espeon. Something about the entire display made Jolt chuckle to himself. After that, the three sat eating breakfast and talking for a little while, as more of the others woke up and came in for some food.

Sparky woke up soon after she heard the voices of the three eating in the main chamber. She quickly roused herself and trotted out of her room, hoping to see the male Jolteon again. As soon as she spotted him next to the fire, she walked straight over and took a seat right next to him, much to Flame's annoyance.

"Morning, Jolt," she yawned as cutely as she could as she selected and began eating a Sitrus berry.

"Good morning Sparky," he replied cheerfully, in a good mood.

Sparky wondered if he was glad to see her. He seemed happy, and she hoped so. Maybe if she was lucky, she could manage to convince him to stay there with her. She had been thinking about him the entire night, her mind buzzing over the fact that she had been lucky enough to be the exact same species as the first male to enter her cave.

The two ate breakfast together, Sparky trying to eat as neatly and girly as she could, whereas Jolt just dove right in, a hunger that he hadn't known he had driving him.

On the other side of Jolt, Flame was muttering quietly with Ruby. Jolt couldn't make out what they were saying to each other, but Flame looked sour and the two kept casting glances over at Sparky. It was a while before Sparky noticed, but when she did, she shot the fire type a furious glance. Jolt caught on quickly, and though he wasn't exactly sure what was going on between the two, he could sense the hostility was becoming volatile. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to diffuse this situation. He didn't know either of them well enough to be able to say anything meaningful, and his options were pretty limited. In fact, all he could think to do was suddenly grab both of the Eeveelutions on either side of him and pull them both into a big hug at the same time.

Both the Jolteon and the Flareon just sat there with their heads buried in their crush's chest, utterly dumbfounded. The room began to noticeably heat up as Flame's body warmed uncontrollably. Only when the heat became unbearable did Jolt let them both go. When he did, Sparky's fur stood on edge and Flame seemed to be glowing dimly, but both wore the same plastered expression.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Sparky," Jolt said, giving her a smile. "And thanks for taking me berry picking, Flame. I had fun," he said, turning to the Flareon. With that, he quickly stood up and padded back to his room, hoping he had done enough. Sparky and Flame sat frozen in the same position for a solid moment before Flame suddenly squeaked, overcome with embarrassment, and ran back to her own room. Sparky just laid down and buried her head in her paws.

"Is it _that_ noticeable?" she asked Ruby, her voice muffled. The Espeon just stayed quiet, amused by what had transpired, and began to plot her next moves in her head.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. Flame was hiding somewhere, Jolt took a nap, and the rest of the Eeveelutions ate and talked like they usually did. "So, when can I test him, Sparky?" Midnight said suddenly after swallowing the food in her mouth. Snow looked at her curiously, and Sparky gave her an annoyed look. She had expected that Midnight would pull this eventually, but she hadn't thought it would be so soon.

"What do you mean, test him?" Snow asked.

"Test how strong he is, see if he's all that," Midnight explained to the still confused Snow, who had just finished her breakfast.

"Why do you guys care about Jolt so much?" Snow suddenly blurted out, a bit more roughly than she actually meant.

"Isn't it kind of obvious?" Ruby replied nonchalantly, as if Snow's question had been ridiculous. Snow turned and shot the Espeon a curious look. It actually surprised Ruby that the Glaceon was that bad at reading the situation. "A bunch of lonely girls living on a mountain, and a handsome male comes along…" she trailed off and looked to see if Snow finally caught on. Snow's face became serious as her suspicions from last night were confirmed. She was glad they were so open to her, at the very least, but the awful jealousy reared back and roared at her from the pits of her being.

"If he wants to when he wakes up Midnight, go for it." Sparky suddenly said, snapping Snow back to reality. Midnight nodded, and picked out a few Sitrus berries, knowing she would soon need the energy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Jolt awoke from his nap, he yawned and stretched, his body comfortably warmed by a fire that Flame had lit in his hearth while he was asleep. He'd had a pleasant dream about a warm, sunny beach that he'd seen on his former master's television. He imagined the sun on his back and the sand in his paws, enjoying it with his new friends. "Maybe someday we can all go to the coast, a warm one, not like Snowpoint," he thought aloud to no one in particular.

When Jolt strolled out of his room and into the central chamber, he was met by Midnight, who flashed him an excited, toothy grin. Unbeknownst to him, the others had already gone to a large, flat plateau directly left of the cave, leaving the two Eeveelutions alone.

"Morning princess," Midnight greeted him with an almost mocking tone in her voice. "Sleep well?"

The insult just bounced off of the groggy Jolteon who nodded complacently. He looked up at her to reply, but then noticed her body language. The Umbreon was crouched low in a battle stance, smirking at him as she prepared to pounce. Jolt took a step back, surprised, but it was already too late. Midnight pounced on him and pinned him down all in a matter of seconds, the Jolteon too dazed to even fight back.

"Hey, what gives? Get off me!" Jolt shouted at his sudden assailant. Midnight said nothing however, just staring down at him. She looked him up and down, as Jolt stared back up at her. The Umbreon derived a strange satisfaction from seeing the Jolteon that the others wouldn't shut up about squirming powerlessly underneath her. She just smirked down at him, a cocky grin on her face, and savored the moment before she finally spoke.

"You're wondering why I have you pinned."

"No shit," replied Jolt, annoyed.

"You seem strong, and I want to test you," Midnight began. "At least, you did before you became the easiest pin I've ever made." Midnight had prepared something cool to say, a formal challenge, but the feeling of satisfaction she got just by standing over him made her forget every word of it. The feeling of temporarily dominating the new object of everyone else's desires was stimulating. After another pause Midnight stepped off, allowing Jolt to get up.

"I have no idea what you're saying," the confused Jolteon said as he got to his feet.

"Shut up and follow me," was her only reply as she started walking to the plateau. As annoyed by the display as he was, Jolt followed, his interest peaked.

When they got onto the plateau, Jolt was surprised to see everyone already there, waiting for them. He trotted behind midnight to the center of the plateau, still very confused as to what was going on. She turned around to face him, the shit-eating grin she had worn previously replaced by a confident smirk. "Sparky, do the honors?"

Though she was as annoyed by the whole event as Jolt was, Sparky stood up. She was mad at the Umbreon for even thinking to challenge their new male to a fight and risk driving him off, but she knew that with Midnight's personality this was inevitable. Secretly though, as much as she didn't want to see her Jolt getting hurt, she was curious about his abilities. Also, she wanted to see Midnight get punched.

Next to her, Snow sat much more worried about Jolt than Sparky was. This was the first she had seen him all day, and while he did look healthy, they had brushed with death only the night before. Her unsorted feelings from before rose up into her throat again and she focused intently on the match.

In an official voice like the announcers at the Pokémon battles, Sparky suddenly proclaimed "The battle between Midnight and Jolt is about to begin! Pokémon! To your corners!" Jolt got what was happening, but instead of protesting he moved to one side of the hastily drawn battle circle, not wanting to miss a chance to prove his abilities. Midnight did the same opposite of him, thinking this would be an easy victory for her. Jolt got into the same ready stance as Midnight had and began charging up energy, the electricity starting to flow through his body.

"Begin!" Sparky suddenly shouted, then jumped back.

Nearly a second after Sparky had started the match Jolt had already flew half the distance between himself and his opponent. His strong hind legs and sleek body enabled him to rocket forward like a living bolt of lightning. Jolt saw Midnight blink one time before he slammed into her at a gale force speed. The entire tackle had taken place in about a second and a half. All the spectators had witnessed was Jolt disappearing into a whizzing yellow blur, a loud smack and a cry of pain, then Midnight's form being thrown yards in the other direction.

For Jolt, opening with a blinding fast rush was a successful tactic he'd used in many battles before, and he would usually follow his opener with a wicked thunderbolt that sometimes ended the fights right there. This time, however, was different. In the past, the Jolteon hadn't brushed with an icy death the night previous. Jolt's triumphant grin had lasted a grand total of five seconds before the strain of his leap and the impact caught up with his body and trucked him harder than he had the smug Umbreon.

One second, Jolt was staring at Midnight's collapsed form some yards ahead while a small flurry of snow from his attack breezed past him from behind. The next, he saw the gray, cloudy sky. Then, nothing. Jolt's eyes had rolled backwards before he simply collapsed, his body shutting itself down. Pain began to pump through his body like a poison, seeping in through the shoulder he had struck Midnight with, then coursing throughout his entire form. Jolt wanted to scream from it, but his body wouldn't react. Jolt couldn't move at all, open his eyes or even make a sound. Panic began to overtake the pain in his mind, but as soon as it set in, it began to ebb away as the Jolteon slipped into unconsciousness.

Jolt heard someone shouting his name as he drifted off, but for the life of him, he had no idea who was shouting.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Midnight refused to even speak to Jolt for the rest of the week. Jolt was scared he'd made her an enemy already, so he tried his best to be especially friendly to her, but to no avail. Her pride was severely wounded at being beaten with only one attack, but beyond that, she felt like she had been robbed of an actual fight. She hadn't really tested him at all! Midnight had to fight Jolt again, it didn't matter if she lost. She wanted to be around him, and be rough like only fights allowed her to be. Only in combat was her personality allowed to shine. Only then was it acceptable. All of these things she pondered over the course of that week while her anger for the Jolteon stewed inside of her, until she finally began to hatch a plan…

When Jolt had awoken after the fight with the Umbreon, he was dazed and confused about what had transpired until Sparky filled him in, while the others save Midnight gathered around him with concerned looks on their faces. After that, Jolt had struggled to walk for the rest of the day and his legs ached and with each moment, they reminded him of his mistake. That evening, as Jolt sat alone in his room worrying about his legs, Snow entered with several Oran berries. She wordlessly set them down on the floor, then picked one up and crushed it in her paw.

Jolt had seen Oran berries be used as a type of herbal medicine before, but he was surprised that Snow knew how to administer that type of aid. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. Right now, all he could do was watch as she coated her paws with the Oran pulp, turning them an even darker shade of blue. As gently as she could, she pressed her paw into the Jolteon's injured leg and began to knead the pulp into it. Jolt hissed with pain but did not protest, allowing her to proceed. Snow shot him am apologetic glance and kneaded a tad more gently, but that did little to ease the coursing pain in the Jolteon's leg. The muscles screamed in protest as they were forced to knit back together, but after they had, the relief was almost as intense as the pain had been moments before.

"Snow, I-" Jolt began, but the words died in his throat when he saw Snow's face.

"You… You don't have to impress them, you know?" she said softly. Tears streamed down her soft blue cheeks. The Glaceon was embarrassed by the sudden outburst of emotion, but ever since they had arrived in the cave, these thoughts had dominated her mind. In a way it felt good to let some of that escape, and it was already too late to hide her tears. Snow looked up into Jolt's eyes and they held each other's gaze for a moment until the tears in Snow's distorted the Jolteon's guilty expression beyond recognition. "You've already impressed me…"

Jolt and Snow quickly fell into the routine of life in the cave. It wasn't much of a routine, as they tended to come and go as they pleased, but they got used to their surroundings. Snow liked it enough: warm and safe shelter in her natural snowy environment combined with a consistent source of food was all she could really ask for. However, as the days dragged on, the other Pokémon in the cave became more and more transparent about being her romantic rivals, and the inner conflict of emotions Snow had to grapple with wasn't exactly helping either. She wasn't as close to Jolt as she wanted to be, but getting a moment alone with him was almost impossible and she felt her internal battle flare up whenever she saw his face. Her emotions told her to run to him and destroy any and all who would take him from her, but her rationality told her not only to not bite the paw that fed her, but that she had barely known him longer than they had and she probably didn't have much better standing with him either. Not to mention the fact that nobody seemed to really ask how Jolt felt about suddenly being the center of attention and the object of affection for so many strangers. When considering all these things, Snow eventually did admit to herself she wanted to be closer to Jolt, like they were starting to get while travelling alone together. The question now was how?

Sometime later, Flame, Sky, and River were busy gathering firewood, while Sparky, Jolt and Snow picked some berries for dinner. Flame had usually gathered enough food for the coming week on the weekends, but this night was special. It was the one-week anniversary of Jolt and Snow's arrival, and they wanted to celebrate with an especially big dinner. With most of the cave's inhabitants away collecting supplies, save Breeze who had injured her leg, Ruby and Midnight were left alone to tidy the place up.

"Ruby?" The Umbreon suddenly piped up after she had finished using her psychic abilities to pull trash and debris out of the cave and down the mountain.

"Yes, Midnight?" Came the slow response from the Espeon.

"I need some advice."

Ruby turned around to face her dark counterpart, a sly, knowing grin already plastered on her face. "You want to fight Jolt again, and need to know how to get him alone again, don't you?"

Midnight almost jumped. "H-How did you know?" she stammered, suddenly flustered that the Espeon had guessed her question right down to the exact words she would've used.

"My psychic powers are stronger than yours. Sometimes, I can't even help hearing your thoughts in my head" Ruby casually explained. "And since it's not like I have any other choice but to help you, I've already come up with a course of action for you." The Espeon watched the Umbreon open her mouth to interject before realizing herself that she would've pestered the Espeon for it over and over. It wouldn't have been the first time it'd happened. "Go out to town tonight and bring him along, but make sure everyone else is asleep first," she continued. "If anyone else saw your battle, they might disturb you. In the forest, have your fight. It's up to you how to get him to fight you again, though."

Midnight was initially stunned at how much thought Ruby had put into this but didn't complain. "Thanks Ruby, I owe you," she said gratefully as she turned to leave.

The Espeon just grinned at the Umbreon's back. 'Yes you do,' she thought to herself, already putting in place the pieces of her own plans.

The feast was especially delicious that night. Roasted berries tasted much better than raw ones, and Jolt had found some hot dogs in a sealed package near the road, still fresh. They ate happily, drinking out of a small pool of mineral water by the caves entrance. Jolt had a particularly good meal, not too much but more than usual. He went to bed full and happy, expecting a good night's rest. However, nearly an hour later when Midnight was sure everyone was asleep, she crept into Jolts room and woke him up. "Midni-"was all Jolt managed to get out before she put a paw over his mouth to silence him. "I'm going down to Snowpoint," she whispered. "Want to come with me?"

Overcoming the rush of fear from being woken up so suddenly, Jolt quickly nodded his affirmative. He was pleased to discover that she didn't hate his guts after all, and excited to see what she did during her visits to Snowpoint. As stealthily as they could, the pair crept out of the cave and down the mountain Both Eeveelutions were excited, but for different reasons. They marched silently through the snow for a while until Midnight led him to a clearing in the middle of the forest. There she stopped and turned around to face the now confused Jolteon.

"Listen, Jolt..." she began with a hint of shyness that Jolt couldn't figure out until he saw the hastily drawn battle circle in the snow.

"…You wanted a rematch?" he suddenly asked dejectedly.

Midnight nodded in the darkness.

"You could've just asked, I would've said yes…" Jolt sighed. He was a little disappointed she only wanted to fight and not hang out with him, and even more disappointed she felt she had to trick him instead of asking.

"I wasn't sure what you'd say, after our last fight…" Midnight replied quietly, feeling somewhat guilty now. Pushing that thought aside, she walked over to her side of the circle, the adrenaline beginning to flow through her in anticipation. Jolt somewhat reluctantly took his place on the other end, and lowered into his fighting stance, pushing aside all his own thoughts. No words were necessary anymore. The two eyed each other down fiercely, both ready to strike. Suddenly, by some unspoken cue, the two figures ran at each other.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Again and again the two Eeveelutions clawed at each other; swiping and dodging and blocking like two whirlwinds battling against each other. They would meet in midair and swipe at each other, only to have their attack glance off the other's. After a minute or so they backed away, both covered in minor scratches but neither able to gain the upper hand in close quarters combat. The snow was dotted with the imprints of their skirmish as Jolt slid away and used electricity to turn his pelt sharp as daggers, defensively waiting for the Umbreon to make the next move. A cold wind blew through and ruffled the spikes coating his body, swaying them like the branches of a golden pine tree.

Midnight was the first to break the lull in the battle. She opened her maw wide began forming a shadow ball, the darkness before her shivering and expanding as it became charged with energy. Jolt did the same and formed his own as quickly as he could, firing the dark orb as the same time as the Umbreon. The two orbs of dark matter collided in midair and froze for a moment, equally matched in power before suddenly exploding, sending a shockwave that blew the snow into the air and caused both combatants to stagger backwards.

When Jolt recovered from the blast and opened his eyes, all he had time to see was the dark blur of Midnight's form before she slammed into him, just as he had done to her before. With no time to dodge, all he could do was brace himself for the impact, which sent him skidding backwards several more meters. Though reeling from the harsh impact, Jolt saw Midnight charging again, ready to follow up her rush and end the battle. The Jolteon's limbs still hadn't recovered from the impact and screamed at him whenever they moved at all, leaving him with only one option. His face began to glow as a ball of electricity formed before his open maw. Meanwhile, Midnight was closing the gap fast.

10 meters. The attack is formed.

5 meters. Jolt fires the Electro Ball at Midnight.

3 meters. Midnight had her own Shadow Ball charged.

2 meters. She fires, realizing too late what was happening.

The positive and negative orbs collided before the eyes of the combatants and seemed to merge into each other. A second later, the resulting explosion sent both flying like leaves in a hurricane. The two Eeveelutions tumbled hard out of the clearing and down a portion of the mountain, the snow doing little to cushion the hard impacts of their landings.

When Jolt at last opened his eyes, he was laying on something soft, but his body hurt all over. At first all he could see was darkness and his head spun from the flashbang grenade that had gone off in his face and his resulting trip down the mountain. It took the yellow fox a whole ten seconds to realize that the darkness he saw was actually the black fur of the Umbreon underneath him.

Midnight looked up at Jolt and her pulse began to quicken, not unlike when she was the one standing over him. Neither said anything as their gazes met. Time seemed to stop completely, save the gentle flakes of snow that had begun to fall around them, reflecting the light of the moon like silver crystals. Before, the Umbreon had felt triumphant when she stood over the object of her friends' desires. Now that he was the one standing over her, she felt a different rush entirely. This was the first time this had ever happened to her, and Midnight wasn't sure how she felt. She didn't know who had won or who had lost, but as the seconds ticked past, the battle faded into obscurity to her; something else was far more important, and her instincts her giving her some very strange orders.

Above her, Jolt wasn't quite sure what was happening either. At first when he tried to move, his body simply refused his commands. As time dragged on and the shock wore off, his body became more responsive. At last, he broke the trance he was in when he tried to lift himself up and off of her. However, though he did push upwards his body didn't budge. Glancing behind him, the Jolteon was confused to discover both of Midnight's arms and legs wrapped around him, locking him in place.

"M-Midnight?" Jolt said softly, the confusion evident in his voice.

The word seemed to bounce right off the Umbreon. She just kept staring up at him, refusing to let him move. Internally, her rationale was locked in fierce combat with her instincts, and her logical side was losing that fight. The thoughts in her head steadily became more and more focused on the male on top of her. As her cheeks flushed with blood, she felt herself start to give in to her urges. In her mind, he had beaten her. Jolt was strong. He was worthy of her.

"Midnight?" Jolt asked again, becoming more confused and less comfortable by the moment. He didn't know what to make of the look she was giving him, but it wasn't like her at all.

"You beat me, Jolt…" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I… I did?"

"You won… and I'm your prize."

Jolt opened his mouth to ask another question, but nothing came out. Instead, his eyes widened as he felt Midnight's maw against his own. Her soft lips pushed firmly into his and she kissed him, hard. Jolt tried to pull himself away, but Midnight tightened her grip on her conquest and Jolt was still too weak to resist. For a brief moment, panic began to set in; until he noticed how Midnight smelled. A sweet, warm aroma wafted around him, calming him down. The smell flooded his insides and pushed out all traces of fear, cold and fatigue, replacing them all with Midnight's words. 'She… She is my prize…' he thought to himself. The line repeated itself over and over through his mind, wrapping around his brain like a snake and suffocating it until all he could think about was Midnight.

"Jolt… Don't you want me?" Midnight whispered in his ear, her voice rich and silky.

The Jolteon slowly nodded, his head filled with adrenaline and pheromones.

"Then hurry up and claim me,~"

Midnight looked up at Jolt with bedroom eyes, batting her eyelashes in a way that was previously unknown to her. She knew she had him under her spell just as much as she herself was under it, and she was loving every second of it. Midnight's instincts finally took full control over her body and both of the former combatants gave in to their timeless, primal urges. Midnight felt Jolt become erect, giggling as his warm shaft slid out over her belly. She pulled him down into her chest, arms still hooked around his shoulders.

By now, Jolt had given up any reservations about what they were about to do. They wanted each other. Jolt arched his back, moving and positioning his erection against Midnight's already dripping folds, but paused and gave her a questioning look.

Midnight just nodded and closed her eyes. "Ready," she said.

Jolt didn't hesitate any further as he slowly slid himself into her.

The initial feeling was unlike anything either of them had ever felt. Jolt burrowed his head deeper into her chest and gently began to thrust in and out, taking his time and being careful to not to hurt the Umbreon, durable as she was.

Midnight was in pure bliss, loving the feelings her new mate was giving her. Her inner walls gripped his shaft tightly, pulling on it hard with each thrust, making the experience all the better for Jolt. She pushed upwards against him, forcing them both together carefully at first, but harder and harder as time dragged on.

Without warning, Jolt suddenly pulled out of the Umbreon, just long enough to roll onto his back and pull her on top of him. This position felt even better than the last, allowing more of his cock to slide in. She rode him hard, the waves of pleasure bashing against each of their minds enough to make them stop caring about anything else but each other. She fell onto his chest and buried her head into his shoulder, surrendering control to him. Jolt gladly took the initiative and began pounding her with a series of hard, rapid thrusts.

Midnight cried out in ecstasy before clamping down on him so hard, Jolt was rendered immobile. She shuddered as she rode her first climax, fluids leaking out all over Jolt's shaft. Undeterred, he started thrusting again immediately after her walls loosened enough to allow him to move. However, it only took a few more hard, deep thrusts before he pulled out of her, much to Midnight's dismay, and shot his own climax high into the air before it rained down on Midnight's back.

The two Eeveelutions laid together for a little bit after that, panting from the exertion as the last mists of pleasure cleared from their minds.

"Wow…" was all Jolt could manage to say. Midnight lifted her head up in front of his, grinning at him, and kissed him again. This time, Jolt kissed her back willingly, and without hesitation. After they had both calmed down, Midnight got up off him, and Jolt sat up.

"How long do you think it'll be before the others figure out what we've done?" Jolt asked.

"Not too long,~" came Ruby's sudden purr as she stepped out of the bushes surrounding the clearing.

Midnight yelped in surprise.

"You were watching us?" Jolt asked, slightly less shocked than Midnight, though still fazed.

"Well, uh…" Ruby suddenly blushed and looked away. "That's not important. What IS important, however, is what you and I are going to do tomorrow night, if you don't want everyone else finding out about this and jumping you for the same treatment." She walked over to him with the same look in her eyes that Midnight had had and licked his cheek seductively.

"H-Hey! Get your paws off my mate!" Midnight growled, pushing her way in between the two. Jolt was as surprised to hear her say that as Ruby was.

Ruby's expression changed from seductive to annoyed. "Cut the rest of us some slack, Midnight. I want to feel a male in me, too."

Jolt just sat there, unsure of how to react.

"W-Well… then why don't we both take him tomorrow?" Midnight suggested, seeing the reason behind Ruby's actions, but still not wanting to surrender her new mate entirely. Ruby nodded, taking the compromise despite having wanted him to herself. At least this way, her plan still worked, and she could keep Midnight as an ally.

"Let's go back now and get some sleep," Jolt suddenly yawned, seemingly unfazed that he had been reduced to a possession. And with that the three walked back up the mountain together, the girls whispering and giggling behind him the entire way.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ruby and Midnight ran into the clearing first, accompanied by Jolt, who walked in a slightly slower pace. He walked behind the other two to the center, and laid on his back, getting comfortable in the snow. Midnight laid next to him and nuzzled his cheek warmly. All around them, the snow drifted peacefully down from the sky, erasing the evidence of the battle that had occurred the previous night.

Midnight, as much as the stoic Umbreon would've tried to deny it, was quickly growing attached to Jolt. Inexperienced in this area as she was, she was beginning to feel protective of the Jolteon. No matter what happened tonight, he was still HER mate, and nothing could change that. However, when she turned to look at him, she found him gazing up at the falling snow, almost longingly. Though she had been sure he felt the same way about her and was only going through with this because she had asked him to, Midnight couldn't help but wonder if he thought about her as much as she did him.

Ruby and Midnight had discussed the experience for almost the entire day in private, speaking in hushed, excited tones and giggling amongst themselves. Midnight wasn't used to seeing the normally shy and reclusive Espeon acting like this, but Ruby couldn't hide her emotions. The way she had described it, coupled with the fact that Ruby had longed for this for some time now had the Espeon on edge. 'The entire thing came together quite nicely,' she thought to herself as she sat down in the snow, looking the Jolteon up and down like a jeweler apprasing a diamond. 'I just hope Midnight won't hold a grudge for what I'm about to do…"

Ruby wasted no time after she had evaluated the male. She shifted down onto her stomach and pulled his legs open, then nuzzled his crotch with the tip of her nose. She cautiously licked it a few times, and it slowly began to rise. Meanwhile, Midnight enjoyed a heated kiss with Jolt. There was something odd but wonderful about the way his lips felt when they touched hers, and she didn't want to stop anytime soon. She found it funny that she had wanted to beat him down only a day before, and now they were together and her heart was bursting with joy. She didn't need to admit it to herself; she knew, and was happy of the fact that she was in love with Jolt. By the way he was kissing her back, not willingly but excitedly, she figured that he had to feel the same way.

By now, Ruby had managed to get Jolt's cock out of its sheath. The Jolteon's crimson shaft gleamed in the moonlight as it dripped with her saliva. She just admired it for a second and imagined how it would feel inside her. The others took her more seriously than she was. She was subject to the same urges and desires as they were, and her ability to pick up on feelings only amplified them. She moved on top of Jolt, nervous but ready. Ruby took a deep breath, and pressed Jolt's tip to the edge of her slit. The slick saliva on his shaft combined with the Espeon's already dripping wet flower gave her no resistance as she lined herself up while Jolt watched. It felt warm, despite the cold snow. "1… 2…" she muttered quietly, and then dropped herself down on him.

Jolt had known it was coming, but the force of her plunge and the initial grip Ruby had on him made him lurch forward with a surprised gasp. Next to him, Midnight was initially surprised, but giggled as she realized what had happened.

Ruby bit her paw to keep from crying out, the initial blast of pain and pleasure that Midnight had described was overloading to her senses. She felt not only her own waves of pleasure but Jolt's as well, amplifying the experience beyond even what Midnight had felt. While Ruby was still adjusting to the invading rod inside her, she watched as Jolt laid back down and Midnight moved in on him again. This time, however, she stood over his face, and gently lowered her vagina onto his mouth. Jolt got to it immediately and slowly began licking her dripping opening.

To Jolt, Midnight tasted weird. Her folds were salty and unlike anything he'd ever tasted before. As he began a steady pace of lapping at her though, he found that the taste wasn't unpleasant. The Umbreon just closed her eyes and let out a throaty moan, almost akin to a growl. She was in bliss for the second time that week. Jolt's tongue felt almost as good as his cock, and she just moaned from the pleasure for lack of anything else to do.

Ruby spread her limbs out for balance as she began gently bobbing up and down on him, slowly at first but gaining momentum each time she pushed down. Midnight didn't explain exactly how great mating would feel, but Ruby now figured that this feeling couldn't be explained. She was enjoying the sex for the both of them as Jolt was preoccupied with the Umbreon. Time passed like this, with the three enjoying themselves and each other. Eventually Ruby shifted her body and found a position where she could lay on Jolt with his cock still in her. She made herself comfortable on the male's chest, cooing softly in pleasure, and resumed pushing back into that wonderful shaft. It came as a surprise to the Espeon when Jolt suddenly pulled his legs up and locked them around her, locking her in that position. Ruby stopped moving and let Jolt begin thrusting into her. Having him doing the work felt even better than before. Jolt controlled her now, and with his kegs locked around her, he had her dominated. She loved it.

The threesome continued like this for hours. The three Eeveelutions fell into the smooth rhythm of mating, slowly at first, progressively faster and harder. Jolt didn't mind doing all the work; he controlled both of them and went as his own pace, allowing him to take his time with Ruby. There wasn't as much friction, but the Espeon's walls gripped him more forcefully than Midnight's had. After a while, the thrusts and licks became more and more forceful. Jolt's moans became louder as he came closer to climaxing. He could feel by the twitching of both vaginas as both approached their own orgasms. Feeling this, Jolt was determined to finish strong and outlast them. He slammed into Ruby as hard and fast as he could in the position they were in and was rewarded with the Espeon's sweet cries of bliss. Midnight was barely keeping herself from doing the same as Jolt lapped at and sucked her folds deep and fast, fucking her with his tongue. Jolt found he was drinking more and more of her juices with each lick, his face and neck absolutely drenched by now.

Jolt made the home stretch in a matter of seconds. Ruby climaxed first; she called out, louder than she had before, and her walls clamped down on him like Midnight had. Jolt felt her warm, sticky orgasm coat his cock, lubricating it as he took off thrusting as soon as her walls permitted. Midnight was next, crying out loudly as Ruby had. Her orgasm wasn't as forceful, since she had been depleted the previous night, but it was still enough to make Jolt struggle to gulp it all down. She rolled off of him, panting heavily as the last of her orgasm left her body and the tempest of pleasure subsided once more.

Finally Jolt felt his own climax shoot up his cock. When he attempted to pull out of her however, he felt something push against his haunches, keeping him firmly in place. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ruby's forehead gem glowing, along with a wicked grin on her face. With Midnight off of him, she slid further up his body, forcing him to stay inside her the entire time. When she arrived at his head, she laid flat against him and whispered just loud enough for him to hear her say, "knock me up, Jolt. I want you to make me a mother.~"

Jolt's eyes widened with panic, but it was already too late. A single cry escaped his lips before his entire body shuddered and he blasted his essence straight into the Espeon. She howled in bliss as she felt it rush into her, grinning as he bred with her.

The entire walk back to the cave, Jolt felt like his legs were made of jelly. His mind raced to come up with different scenarios where he wouldn't be fathering Ruby's child, but given how fertile most Pokémon were, he couldn't think of many. Midnight had been too out of it to notice what had happened and Ruby hadn't said anything, just stood there, looking pleased that her plan was complete. Jolt had pieced together now that she had wanted this outcome from the start, and he'd ended up playing right into that.

Jolt arrived at the cave before Ruby or Midnight and headed straight for his room. He needed time to think. However, what he found inside would allow him to do just the opposite. Curled up in his hay was Snow's body, slowly rising and falling with her peaceful breathing.

The Jolteon was about to pad back out, thinking he had wandered into her room by accident, when she suddenly shifted.

"I was waiting for you, Jolt…" she said quietly.

"Snow…?" he replied, confused.

"I won't ask where you've been…" she continued, "but I will make a request."

"Why are you laying in my bed, Snow?" Jolt whispered.

"I want to be with you. That's why," came her response. Snow gracefully used her tail to wrap around Jolt's leg and urge him over to her.

The Jolteon, who was overcome with fatigue as well as different emotions, just nudged his way into the bedding next to her and gave his friend a hug. He really, really needed a hug just then. He allowed the fear, anxiety and the small bit of anger to leave his mind as he curled up against the Glaceon and gave in to the oncoming sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A pale draft of light wafted into Jolt's room from the central chamber. As it grew stronger with time, it became enough to wake the sleeping Jolteon. When his eyes fluttered open, he was hoping to the pale blue face of a Glaceon laying next to him, but was only met with the cold, dim walls of his quarters. He sat up and stretched, disappointed, and thought about what she'd said to him the night before. "Maybe she just… lost her nerve or something…" Jolt muttered to himself. He got up to check Snow's room, but it was as devoid of her as his had been.

As he rounded the corner out of her chamber, he was surprised by nearly running into himself. Startled, it took him a moment to realize the reflection he was locking into was actually Sparky, who despite nearly having been ran over was now sporting a faint blush under his examining gaze. Even though they were the same species, it was almost eerie how similar she looked to him.

"Not that I mind you staring at me or anything, but you could at least say good morning first," Sparky chided him teasingly, snapping the other Jolteon back to attention.

"S-Sorry, Sparky," Jolt apologized, taking a few steps backwards. However, as he retreated, she advanced, matching each of his steps until he felt his back hit the wall behind him.

"I'm not gonna bite, Jolt," Sparky said as she leaned forward and nuzzled into his mane. "…Unless you want me to, that is.~" Something about the tone of her voice suddenly made Jolt feel very uncomfortable, but seeing as how he was staying in her territory, he remained silent as she inspected him, fighting his urge to suddenly cut and run.

"You know, all the others went out to gather food together. It's just us here right now…"

Jolt didn't have to be a genius to understand what she was hinting at. Had it not been for Snow stirring up his insides full of confusion and regret, he might have actually just taken her right there against that wall.

"You didn't have anything to do with the fact that they all went, did you?" Jolt finally said.

Sparky feigned confusion but her seductive smirk never left her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about… I just happened to notice how empty the cave was, and I got to thinking..." She stepped forward again and brushed up against her side, purposefully lifting her spiky tail in his face as she did. "I did a lot of thinking, and I wanna try everything I thought about with you.~"

'So, now subtlety is out the window,' Jolt thought to himself as his mind raced to get him out of the situation as gracefully as possible. 'I wonder if she overheard Midnight or Ruby…'

"S-Slow down there, Sparky," Jolt said nervously. She looked ready to pounce on her prey, and Jolt couldn't risk fighting back and being evicted from the cave without a backup plan. "I barely know more than your name. Aren't you taking this a little… fast?"

The other Jolteon pouted but backed up some. "I mean, it's just us here, so I figured… ah, forget it…"

The look of rejection on her face when she turned around and started to pad away actually managed to stab Jolt with guilt. After all, it wasn't like she knew he wasn't into it.

"Hey, Sparky. Wait up," Jolt called after her, making her pause. "If you wanted to just, I dunno, hang out or something, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better…"

Sparky said nothing, but instead just turned around and hugged Jolt.

"I… I'd like that," she said quietly, her entire demeanor completely changed.

Despite his confused interest in Snow, Jolt had to admit that Sparky looked pretty cute like that.

"Maybe we could take a walk around the mountain? I know where this cool crystal chamber is on the other side," Sparky offered. She had never told anyone about the hidden crystal chamber she had discovered while walking around the previous year. She hoped that Jolt would say yes, since she wanted to impress him with the chamber.

"It's a date," Jolt replied, hoping for the best.

Sparky quickly looked up at him. "Wait, it's a date? With me and you, on a date?"

Jolt realized she didn't get the expression. "I meant it sounds like a plan," he corrected her. She looked a little disappointed, so he added "I guess it's kind of like a date, a little bit." He gave her a playful nudge, which she retuned happily. Then they both set off with Sparky in the lead.

The two had made their way around the mountain for about an hour before Sparky stopped and announced that they had arrived. The sun was out and the snow wasn't currently falling; perfect weather all things considered.

"Look," Sparky said as she pushed some rocks leaning up against the base of a cliff aside, revealing a small hole, just barely big enough to accommodate them. Sparky slid herself through the gap and her companion followed. When they landed, it was like they weren't even on earth anymore. Massive crystals adorned every surface of the cave and reflected light of all colors, painting a collage of hues all over the walls.

"Wow…" was all Jolt managed to say, awestruck.

Sparky just smiled and sat next to him, looking at the beauty around them and remembering her own reaction to the cave being the exact same. She had always wanted to take someone here, but a special someone. She knew the others had been hanging around Jolt lately, but as they sat together in that cave, all her mind buzzed with were images of the future the two of them would share. After all, they were both Jolteons, so they would be the best for each other. Jolt suddenly shifted just then. Sparky thought he might be pulling away, fearing she had overstepped her boundary. However, Jolt had just sat down next to her, close enough for their spikey pelts to touch. Emboldened by this, the now-blushing Jolteon debated making another subtle move on him. Slowly and cautiously, she leaned her head on his shoulder, expecting him to pull away at any second. Instead, he surprised her yet again with his stillness as he allowed her head on his side. Sparky was surprised she'd got that far considering how that morning began, but she didn't question her good fortune and just snuggled up against him, enjoying their own little moment together. No matter what anyone thought or said, this was a date, at least in its own special way.

Meanwhile, a particular bunch of crystals had caught Jolt's eye. There were many of them scattered about on the cave floor, and each bore a different color. "Hey, look at those, Sparky." Jolt said, pointing them out.

Sparky lifted her head and looked in the direction he was pointing. "I didn't notice those when I was here last," she said, her interest peaking. To her dismay, Jolt stood up and walked over, intending to inspect the odd crystals. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Uh, Sparky… you may want to have a look at this."

She walked over, and her jaw dropped. Laying in front of them were dozens of evolution stones.

For a while, the two Jolteons debated what to do with the treasure that they had stumbled upon. Sparky wanted to take as many stones as they could back to the cave, but Jolt pointed out that every one of their home's current occupants had already evolved. A vision of his possible unborn child with Ruby passed through his mind for a brief moment, but with a nervous shudder he shoved it right back out. He had decided to hope against the odds that this wouldn't come to pass, and if it did, he would deal with the problem when it happened.

"Maybe we can use them for trading or something?" Sparky suddenly suggested.

"Have you ever traded anything with anyone since you've lived on this mountain?" Jolt countered, trying not to be as rude as he felt like being.

"Well, no…" Sparky pouted, glancing at the sparkling rocks. "I just want a souvenir of our time together here."

Jolt's expression softened when she said that. Without a word, he bent down and picked up a single, large thunderstone with both paws. The glassy stone seemed to buzz weakly in his grip and the Jolteon felt it resonate with his core, bringing a happy warmth to his body. He handed the stone to Sparky who beamed at him and took it, gently weighing it in her paws.

"Your first gift to me…" she said quietly, her amethyst eyes glued to the stone. "I'll treasure this, Jolt…"

Under normal circumstances this might have been an awkward moment, but Jolt still felt nice from his encounter with the stone, so he gave her a gentle pat on her head, which brought on a blush from the other Jolteon.

Soon after, the walk back to the cave was uneventful. Sparky fitted the stone between some of her spikes so that she could walk unhindered, but they still walked more slowly back than they had going to the crystal cave. She walked more carefully to keep the stone balanced, and also didn't mind a few extra minutes alone with her future mate. Though the journey was quiet, she was happy just to be with him. Ahead of her, Jolt calmly scanned the horizon as he walked. The snow all around them was almost undisturbed since few others lived this high up the mountain, where adequate shelter was a rare find. He thought he glimpsed several dark shapes moving around farther down the slopes, but they disappeared when a small gust of wind kicked up some snow and obscured his view. Jolt looked back in that direction once more before quickly forgetting about it. Hopefully the others would be back by the time they arrived.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

In a way, Jolt's wish had been granted; when the two Jolteons arrived at the cave, they were met by the rest of the cave's inhabitants, who it appeared had been waiting for them. Jolt just looked at them, confused, but when Sparky saw this, she couldn't help but feel a slight nervousness begin to form in the pit of her stomach. When Jolt stepped forward and crossed the threshold of the cave, it was dead silent. In front of him stood Snow, but the Jolteon couldn't read the mix of emotions on her face. He started towards her but was stopped when Midnight blocked his path.

"Good morning, honey!" she said loudly, flashing Jolt a grin that intimidated him.

"Honey?" Sparky repeated, confused, but Midnight continued on, ignoring the interruption.

"I hope you've had a good morning, because I sure haven't." At this, the Umbreon began to move, circling the Jolteon with unsettlingly precise footsteps. "Its been a real pain trying to explain to all of my roommates why they can't have you, you know." Midnight stopped just behind the stunned Jolt, then turned around and spoke just behind his ear, but loud enough for everyone else to hear. "I was hoping you'd help me explain to them that you're MY mate."

For a tense second, Jolt just stood there, totally frozen. He had figured that Midnight would press this eventually, but he'd hoped that when she did, they could talk about what happened in private. Instead, she chose the absolute last place that he wanted to breach the subject with her in. The cave was silent while Jolt's mind raced to come up with a reply, but his mind drew a total blank. The tense quiet was thick enough to be sliced with a claw, and as it drew on and on, it began choking the Jolteon. Just when he was about to suffocate, the trance he was in was shattered by one of the last voices he thought he would've heard.

"That's enough, Midnight. His silence is all the proof I need." Everyone turned to see a rather annoyed-looking Snow march right up to Midnight and push herself in between the two. "If you two were the inseparable couple you said you were, he would've agreed with you by now," she continued. The normally quiet and passive Glaceon stunned Midnight in much the same way she had stunned Jolt. "I don't know what you've done to or with him, but things obviously aren't the way you think they are."

Midnight recovered from her paralysis much faster than Jolt did. Her eyes narrowed, and a low, hateful growl emanated from her throat. She took a threatening step towards Snow, who didn't flinch or change her annoyed expression in the slightest.

"You little whelp…" Midnight seethed, and the situation might have erupted into violence very shortly after that if the Umbreon hadn't been interrupted by Sparky.

"You might have mated with him Midnight," she said as she stepped forward. "But don't think that you're with him now because of it."

"But…" Midnight tried to protest, but Sparky's words might as well have been a painful arrow that was shot straight into her side. That was exactly what she was afraid of hearing, and coming from someone that she actually respected made them hurt that much more. All around her they were staring, and she suddenly felt very alone. The Umbreon was already out the entrance of the cave and into the snow before the first tear rolled down her cheek.

Jolt watched Midnight run off with a mixture of discomfort and sadness. He hadn't really known how he wanted things to be resolved between the two of them, but it certainly hadn't been like this. He debated running after her for a moment but was stopped by Snow's cool paw as it worked its way into his. He turned around to see her looking at him, but she didn't seem mad. This might have served to cheer Jolt up some if guilt hadn't wormed its way into the mix of emotions he currently had stewing in his gut.

At the mouth of the cave, a triumphant Sparky stood, glowing silently. Not only had she dealt with Midnight and bailed her love out of that situation, but she had probably just taken care of some competition, all with a few words said on the fly. Around her, the others were staring at either the direction Midnight had run off in or Sparky herself with ranging emotions on their faces, but the Jolteon couldn't really bring herself to care. No one seemed to know what to do, so she decided to make the first move. She calmly made her way over to Jolt and brushed her pelt up against his, causing several sparks to fly as their charged furs made contact.

Snow saw the way Jolt flinched when Sparky touched him. The Glaceon, recently emboldened by and still riding the high of adrenaline from confronting the Umbreon would not let this stand. She had just endured an entire morning of that yellow-ringed bitch gloating about screwing with HER Jolt twice, and there was no way that Sparky would take him away to do the same thing, even if she did own the cave they lived in. Like she had with Midnight, Snow moved in between the two Jolteons and began staring Sparky down, who wore an amused expression as this happened.

"Hey Snow, would you mind moving? I want Jolt to pick out a good spot in my room for this beautiful thunderstone he gave me." After that, she turned to face Jolt, who was currently alternating between staring at Snow and back at her, so she added, "I think it would look great near my bed. Though, that isn't the only thing I want in there.~"

Snow saw through Sparky's blatant attempt to distance her from Jolt emotionally like she had with Midnight, but the Glaceon remained as stone-faced as ever, wearing an annoyed scowl. Rather than moving aside, she grabbed Jolt by the arm and yanked him towards her, pulling him away from Sparky. Once again, the tense silence fell over the room and everyone looked uncomfortable except Snow and Sparky, who just looked pissed.

"Move it, Snow. I'm not gonna ask you again," Sparky growled, suddenly becoming very, very serious.

"Why should I? He isn't your mate," Snow shot back, putting as much venom into her words as she could.

"He isn't yours, either," Sparky retorted, quickly becoming tired of this game. "You might have come here with him, but he obviously doesn't care about you that much if he still went off with Midnight."

Snow knew exactly what Sparky was doing and tried not to let her anger overcome her and give in to Sparky's games. When the Jolteon mentioned Midnight, Snow didn't even need to think about what she was doing. She braced her hind legs and felt a rush of freezing air fill her mouth and harden her teeth as she prepared an ice fang that tear the smug right out of her.

"He isn't either of yours!" came a new voice from the crowd of onlookers, just in time to stop Snow from pouncing. All eyes focused on a nervous yet determined-looking Flame. "I… I like Jolt too! And I-I wanna be with him! He isn't either of yours, so I might as well make him mine!"

Jolt was taken aback by the Flareon's sudden confession. Her words would probably have turned his face the same shade of red as hers if a fight wasn't currently beginning right in front of him. Then out of nowhere, his vision shifted to the cave ceiling, which began moving. Only when everything slowed down did Jolt register that he had Breeze's ribbon wrapped around his leg and was now staring up at her. He scrambled to his feet just as the tension broke and almost every other person in that cave rushed him, fighting each other in the process. He watched, eyes widened with fear as he was quickly surrounded on all sides and fought over. They hit him while attacking each other, grabbed at him, tore at his pelt and even had his eye jabbed once. All of the shouting and confusion was overwhelming to the Jolteon, who felt his emotions slip away from him.

"That is ENOUGH!" He roared. Jolt's fur bristled for an instant before he unleashed a very powerful Discharge. The terrified Jolteon did not hold back and the attack sent everyone who was near him flying backwards, sparks leaping from their singed bodies.

Horror began to set in as Jolt realized what he'd just done. He scanned the forms of his friends that he had just blasted, making sure that everyone was still breathing at the very least. They were, but those who were the closest to him to caught the worst of the attack, and River was down for the count due to the type difference. Following the horror came rage as he calmed down just enough to be angry instead of scared.

"I do not belong to any of you!" Jolt shouted at those who were still conscious. Aside from this, he really didn't know what else to say. He quickly turned around and began stomping towards his room, only glancing over his shoulder once. He locked eyes with Snow and immediately began to regret just blasting everyone. He hoped she and everyone else would forgive him after a little while, but he didn't look back again.

Sparky had been thrown from her feet by the shockwave but hadn't been hurt by it. She quickly scrambled to pick up her thunderstone, then glanced at the pile of bodies for less than a second before retreating to her own room. She had been so close to sealing the deal with Jolt before they were interrupted, she thought as she walked. Before she had even crossed the threshold into her room, she decided that Snow was going to have to be removed from the picture, as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

The predawn cold stung the Jolteon's lungs, but he had too much on his mind to notice it. The silver snow crunched underneath him as he carved a path through the darkness, the world lit only by the moon. Though he strained his eyes, it would be a while before he could see much more than a few feet in any direction. He had accepted some time ago that he was at the disadvantage until morning, but he pressed on nonetheless.

Jolt thanked his luck that it wasn't snowing yet. The blizzards and snowstorms that gave this mountain its name had seemed to settle down just for him, but he was wasn't sure how long this would last and knew that he had to take advantage of the calm. The tracks he followed had been sloppy as they carved down the mountain, the one who made them having fled as fast as possible. The further Jolt went from the cave however, the more graceful the tracks became, meaning his quarry had slowed. While it meant he was getting closer, or at least he wasn't as far behind, it also made tracking that much harder. Even gentle breezes blew enough snow over the tracks to start filling them, so time was of the essence.

Jolt entered the mountain's forest midway through his decent. The trees, beautiful as they were, obscured the little light the moon granted him and caused him to miss a turn and have to backtrack on more than one occasion. He began to simply walk in the indentions of the tracks themselves, fearing that luck would only save him so many times. This slowed him considerably, but he had no alternative; there was barely enough light to keep him from smacking into the trees, and using his electricity as a light source would likely provoke whoever lived in them. He wasn't sure how alone he was, but a fight would slow him further and he couldn't afford that.

After a short ways, the trees began to thin into a huge clearing. Jolt looked up and was thankful to see the sky again, the inky blackness beginning to bruise with the deep blues and violets of the approaching dawn. He stared up at it for a while, mesmerized by the sight, and appreciated the natural tapestry he had taken for granted so many times. He let his mind clear for the first time since setting out and took a deep breath. The icy air stung just as much as always, but the lower elevation and the fresh scent of pine sweetened the air. When Jolt returned his gaze to the trail he was following, he saw a void in front of him that he could not comprehend. Then, the world exploded.

Jolt was vaguely aware that he had left the ground. Everything around him was a dark blur, speckled with white chunks of snow like a constellation of stars around him. Then with a heavy crunch, everything stopped moving. Luckily for him, Jolt's back remained exposed to the air after he landed, else he wouldn't have known which way was up. The Jolteon groaned and rolled over to refill his lungs with air. Taking inventory of himself, he wasn't in any pain, but the discombobulation kept him on his back for several more seconds until he forced himself to sit up. The darkness spun all around him for several more seconds until his senses returned. Once again, he glimpsed a small void before him, but this time saw that it was speeding towards him and heard the hiss of air as it sped past.

Rather ungracefully, Jolt commanded his body to flop out of the projectile's path and roll as far away as he could. He heard the impact barely a few feet away from where he had been sitting and felt the shockwave, but now he was on his feet and on high alert. He strained all of his senses to detect something, anything, that would give him a clue as to what was going on, but everything was silent and dark. Figuring that he couldn't simply remain where he was, Jolt took another step forward, only to be greeted with that familiar hiss of an impending explosion. All at once his body sprang into action. Jolt dashed forward and narrowly avoided the shot, feeling the rush of air on his side as it whizzed past him. He sprinted forward and used his natural speed to charge blindly ahead. Several more explosive attacks were launched, but either by dumb luck or design they all missed him, though each shot was far to close for comfort. Whenever a shot grazed him, it stung like a ball of ice shards needling across his side, which served to spur him on even faster.

Jolt was a blur himself when he finally focused on the inky black outline of something else in the clearing. With only a fraction of a second to think he guessed that this was his assailant and targeted the thing. Hoping that this thing wasn't a rock or a stump, he charged at it with every ounce of power in his body and tackled the thing as hard as he could. When he leapt and spread his arms out for more coverage, he spotted two crimson orbs just before he collided with something soft. The sheer force of the impact sent whoever he hit flying. They tumbled backwards, hit the ground then rolled a ways further before coming to a stop in a thick bed of snow. Surprisingly unfazed from the impact Jolt rolled onto his feet and sprang forward once more, pouncing blindly onto the silhouette in the snow. When he landed on its soft body, he clung to it tightly and pinned it under him. To Jolt's surprise, the figure hardly resisted this.

After a tense few seconds, Jolt once again saw the two crimson orbs that he recognized were eyes, followed by the gentle golden glow of bioluminescent rings that gradually illuminated the surrounding snow as they were activated. With light to see, Jolt found himself staring directly into the face of Midnight, swollen and puffy from obvious crying.

"Midnight…" Jolt said softly, speaking her name as gently as he could through his hard breathing.

He watched her glassy eyes regain their focus as she recovered from the impact she had taken and found herself staring up into the face of the object of her affection. She didn't speak or look away; instead, Jolt watched as fresh tears began to cave their way down her face and into the soft powder below.

"Jolt…" came her reply after several more seconds of holding his intense gaze.

Jolt couldn't tear himself away from her for what felt like hours, but her soft sniffles broke his trance. He carefully lifted a paw to her cheek and wiped several fat tears from it. It was then that Jolt realized the position they were in and started to pull himself away, but he felt Midnight stop him, then pull him down into her body. She held him so tightly that he doubted he could break free from her grasp, but it didn't hurt. Once more, Jolt found himself gazing into those bright, crimson eyes which seemed to glow in the darkness. When they closed, it was like a light had gone out. Then, Jolt felt a warmth on his face as Midnight's soft lips melded with his own.

Jolt didn't fight the kiss. He carefully pressed downward into it and kissed her back. Warmth flowed between the two as they held each other, and the snow and icy air seemed to evaporate for a while, leaving only a warm darkness that the two clung to each other in, lest they break apart and fall into oblivion. Midnight's rose petal lips felt delicate enough to break if Jolt moved a single muscle, but as time went on the Umbreon drew him further and further in, and before long her mouth had locked with his and her tongue was dominating him. Jolt couldn't summon the strength or willpower to resist her, much like how she had intoxicated him the night of their passion.

And then, all at once, the kiss and the spell that came with it was broken. Jolt blinked absently several times before coming to his senses again. The air felt so cold and dry on his face compared to the feel of Midnight and he was tempted to initiate another kiss, but he thought better of it and pulled away. Indulging himself and Midnight further would only complicate his task. Jolt carefully sat upright as Midnight released him from her grasp and came to a stop before her as she rose opposite of him. Jolt saw a tangible longing in her ruby eyes when she looked at him now.

'You could probably just run away with her, you know. Right now, if you so choose,' came a sudden voice from the top of Jolt's subconsciousness. The thought had been lurking in the dark recesses of the Jolteon's mind the entire way down the mountain, and the moment he had just shared with Midnight had drug it straight to the forefront of his thoughts. Truthfully, he had thought about it enough times to work out the details in his head. As Jolt held Midnight's gaze, he imagined taking her by the paw and just leaving the mountain behind, as well as all of their troubles. Together, they would travel the region until they found a quiet, secluded spot they could be together in. After this, an egg wouldn't be that far behind, and perhaps another, and another. Jolt could build the family he had never really had with someone who loved him, and someone whom he could love as well. Perhaps they could grow old together, surrounded with friends and a big family. Jolt knew he would be happy with this choice.

The sudden gust of icy wind blew straight into Jolt's chest and stabbed his heart with bitter cold regret. For each warm and wonderful thought of Midnight he had, there was an equally longing and regretful one of Snow, who had all but confessed her love for him when she stood up to Sparky. Even Midnight hadn't managed that, and compared to her, Snow was as fragile as the flakes of ice she was named after. The Glaceon had saved his life as well, not only from the bitter cold of the mountain but also from the dull monotony of the dingy alley he had resigned himself to. Without Snow, he would never have even met Midnight, or Sparky, or any of his new friends. Even if he decided to leave with Midnight, Jolt knew he would regret not being able to face Snow for the rest of his life.

"I want you to come back to the cave with me," Jolt finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had persisted between them. The flat resolve in his voice surprised Midnight, who averted her gaze to the snow around them.

"I… I don't know how I can face Sparky after I ran from her…" came Midnight's reply.

It was uncharacteristically weak coming from the strong, brash Umbreon, and Jolt realized the extent of Sparky's words. The other Jolteon had cracked Midnight's brazen outer shell and Jolt could just barely see the self-doubt she hid beneath it. Jolt felt another twinge of guilt knowing that it was because of him that this had happened.

"Together, with me," he responded as firmly as he could. "What Sparky did to you was cruel, and it hurts me to know that I caused everyone to start fighting."

"Stop that, Jolt," Midnight quickly retorted, but Jolt persisted.

"Everyone got along with one another before I showed up. Its only right that I set everything straight."

Midnight was surprised when her mate's warm paw took her cold one into his. She felt him pull her forward to her feet. She knew full well that he couldn't be stopped now and that struggling was pointless, so she allowed him to begin leading her back up the mountain. She really had no other choice but to trust in Jolt's ability to smooth things over, after her humiliating display. She trudged behind him quietly for a time, but eventually moved up next to him. They shared in each other's warmth as Midnight matched his steps, the feeling as painful as it was comforting.

"Why are you being so good to me, Jolt?" she asked, her voice as quiet and small as she felt in that moment. "When I'm honest with myself, I know that I took advantage of you that night…"

"I could have stopped you," Jolt quickly countered her. "I felt myself slipping and I could've stopped you, but I didn't. You didn't take advantage of anyone."

"Its strange that you can still find the will to be around me after that, though. After all, you… you love Snow, don't you?" Midnight hesitated as she delivered that line, the words choking her as if someone was standing on her throat. She wanted him to stop her right there and tell her she was wrong, that he only had room for her in his heart, that he was ready to be with her. In her heart of hearts though, she knew he wouldn't. Still, this knowledge didn't make it hurt any less when all she got in return was silence. The silence was more deafening and oppressive than the wind as they climbed higher.

"I'm sorry that I've hurt you…" came his quiet answer after a hellish eternity of walking. "I've crossed lines with you that we can't ever return from, and all I have to offer you now is that I'm not sure how I feel." Jolt sighed before continuing, taking care to make sure his breath didn't catch, lest he reveal the big, ugly knot that currently resided in his throat. "I mean… yeah. To be entirely honest, I do love Snow. But… Id be lying if I said that my heart doesn't race every time I see you, too."

Hearing this, Midnight felt guilt stab its dagger into her chest, right next to pain's. Because of her, his heart was torn in two. It hurt her to see him like this. As much as she wanted Jolt all to herself, she couldn't help but wonder if he would have been happier if she had never lured him out into that clearing that night…

The cave came into view not long after, the amber light of the central fire cutting into the silvery blues of the late dawn. Jolt wasn't sure if he was happy to be back and could reflect by himself, or if he would rather still be alone with the Umbreon.

"Listen," he said suddenly, almost desperately as they approached the entrance. "No matter what happens, no matter what anyone chooses to do… if you'll have me, I will always be your friend, okay?"

Midnight didn't answer. Instead, she threw her arms around him in one last desperate hug, as if he would be lost to her forever once she let him go. "Mhmm…" came her quiet reply eventually. It was all she could manage, being completely choked up by now.

When the pair finally stepped into the cave and shook off the cold, they were surprised to see several of the other Eevees already awake and talking amongst themselves in the central chamber. Jolt just stared at his feet, too ashamed of his own outburst the previous night to meet any of their gazes. However, they all stopped talking and quickly gathered around him and Midnight after Flame called out to them.

"Jolt! Midnight!" she shouted, her tone holding an urgency that suddenly snapped the both of them to attention. "Did you guys see Snow when you were out this morning?"

"No, why? Is something the matter?" Midnight asked with growing concern. The others looked uneasy, which scared the Umbreon a little. She found out why when Flame continued.

"When I went to wake Snow up for berry-picking this morning, she was gone," the Flareon explained. "She's never missed it with me before."

"Maybe she just went for a walk and forgot about it with everything that happened last night?" Jolt suggested, trying to stay positive despite the fear building in the pit of his stomach.

"Thing is…" Breeze said as she inserted herself next to them, "Sparky isn't here either."

Jolt didn't even register as the others called to him. His body had reverted to pure instinct. Even if he had heard them, he wouldn't have stopped. He was sprinting by the time he crossed the threshold and leapt into the snow, and there wasn't a force on that mountain that could stand in his path.


	12. Chapter 12

It was lucky for Jolt that he didn't need much of a trail to follow in order to track his two targets. The mountain breeze that had mercifully left him and Midnight alone earlier had returned with a vengeance. In just a short time, the silvery morning sky had faded into puffy dark gray clouds, heralding an approaching storm. Memories of his brush with death spurred Jolt on, turning a careful jog into the same panicked run that he had left the cave with. He prayed that the tracks he had lost some time ago would've continued to the place he ran towards; they were angled towards the evolution stone cave before the snow had erased them completely, and Jolt had no other ideas as to where Sparky and Snow would have gone.

The familiar sting of icy cold stung Jolt's lungs as he ran, something he suspected he would never really get used to. His fur was freezing and his feet were wet from the snow, but the urgency of the situation melted the cold whenever it penetrated him too deep. Even if Sparky and Snow weren't in the cave and he had guessed incorrectly, he would have to take shelter there from the building storm. In the back of his mind, Jolt knew that the storm could potentially last for days, and he was already suppressing the fatigue that came from tracking Midnight on a near-empty stomach. He hadn't stopped to consider how dangerous the situation he found himself in was until it was too late to consider turning back. Like his fatigue, Jolt pushed these thoughts down, focusing instead on navigating back to the cave he had chanced upon the day prior.

When the familiar rockface came into view, Jolt dashed into it, using the last of his energy to slide past the rocks near the entrance and into the shelter of the crystal cave. Though the inside of the cave was just as freezing as the outside, the lack of a biting wind served to warm the exhausted Jolteon up. He staggered over to a wall as the intense exertion caught up to him all at once and his body made him painfully aware of all the abuse he had subjected it to. Through sheer force of will Jolt stayed on his feet, stopping just long enough to catch his breath before continuing onward. He didn't know if he would need to protect Snow from Sparky, or if they were even in the cave at all, but he hoped he wouldn't need to exert himself very much in the near future. Though violence would be a last resort, Jolt couldn't help but begin running through scenarios in his head on how to stop a fight. As he made his way through the cave however, he slowly let those thoughts fade from his mind. If a fight was happening right now, he would've heard it; though the furious howl of the wind outside was still loud enough to dominate the natural sounds of the cave, the sounds of combat would've been louder still. This meant that either there wasn't a fight, it was already over, or he was alone in the cave, tired and starving, for nothing.

Jolt was growing steadily more concerned that he would find himself in the last scenario as he entered the main chamber still without seeing signs of anyone else. The rainbow of different hues glowed around him as it had before, but the Jolteon's rising panic prevented him from being able to admire them.

"Snow?" he called out into the recesses of the chamber, his voice echoing throughout it. "Sparky?"

The panic twisted a knot in his gut when he was met only with silence. For a few tense seconds, all Jolt could do was stand there while the realization sank in that he may very well die in this cave for nothing. The only other being who knew of the cave was Sparky, so a rescue wasn't likely coming anytime soon. No sooner had Jolt finished that thought, Sparky stepped out from behind a huge crystal. The sight of her made Jolt's heart skip a beat, then climb into his throat in a bid to escape his body altogether. Her yellow fur was covered in huge splotches of deep, crimson red.

Jolt just stared at her; eyes wide, frozen in place. He wanted to scream when a horrid image of a battered, bloody Snow flashed through his mind, but his throat refused to make a sound. Opposite of him Sparky stared back, looking confused as to why he was even there.

"Jolt?" she called to him, taking several steps forward.

Jolt saw the look on her face change from confused to anxious. Then, Jolt watched as the crimson splotches changed from the front of her body, to her rear, then to the floor. His body was then overcome with three different sensations, one right after the others. First, he was struck with the knowledge that the crimson "blood" all over Sparky's body had actually been reflected light of the massive firestone she was standing under. Second, he felt relief wash over him that Snow had not been violently murdered. Finally, he just felt like an idiot.

"W-What are you doing here…?" Sparky continued, pulling Jolt back into the present.

"Where's Snow?" Jolt replied anxiously, though he tried not to sound unkind.

At this, Sparky's look of unease grew, followed by a wave of guilt. When Jolt took a few steps forward, she looked like she was torn between wanting to block his path and run away. Jolt never broke eye contact; it was like she was a child who knew she was caught, and he was the parent about to scold her. When he had crossed the room and stood before her, she finally hung her head and motioned towards the back of the chamber.

"Snow!" Came Jolt's relieved sigh when he spotted the Glaceon's form in the corner. She was facing the wall, turned away from him, and did not respond. "Snow?" Jolt repeated as he approached her.

When Jolt finally came close enough to put a paw on her shoulder, the Glaceon whipped around and glared up at him. Jolt was surprised to see her eyes were red, her cheeks were puffy and the hair that formed her crown was in disarray. She'd been sobbing but looked otherwise unharmed.

"I didn't think you were d-dense enough not to notice how I feel about you…" she began, stuttering slightly as her chest still heaved with emotion. "So you must've known, and even then, that hasn't stopped you from enjoying yourself with everyone else, has it?"

"Wait, what?" Jolt said, confused by her words and taken aback by the sheer amount of venom in them.

"Don't you dare play stupid right now, Jolt." Snow spat back at him as she stood up. "Sparky told me everything, that you've been avoiding me, that you've been having your fill of fooling around with everyone else, like it was a game to see if you could do it and I wouldn't find out. She even told me how you took her in this cave just yesterday!"

Jolt just stood there in a stunned silence. He couldn't even defend himself against her sudden outburst, despite it not being entirely true.

"I… W-What? No-" he started to stammer but was silenced when Snow's paw collided with his cheek, the loud smack echoing throughout the chamber.

"I told you not to fucking play dumb with me!" she shouted at him, tears once again streaming down her cheeks. "Its one thing to not return my feelings, but what you did was unforgivable. And… And now you're just standing here, lying to my face about it…" At this point, Snow broke down completely once again and began sobbing in front of Jolt, her warm tears dripping onto the cold stone floor slowly beginning to freeze over.

Jolt's cheek stung from the impact as the yellow fur tinged with red as blood rushed into the area. The slap served to reorient Jolt however, who turned away from Snow to the other uncomfortable Jolteon in the cave.

"Sparky!" he barked angrily, the short and stiff command resonating with its target.

Jolt watched as she shuddered, then made her way over to the two of them.

"Explain."

The female Jolteon stared at the ground for a moment, as if choosing her next words carefully. Just as Jolt was about to repeat his command, she finally opened her mouth and spoke. When she did, her words were clear and direct.

"I wanted you gone, Snow," she said bluntly to the Glaceon's face. "Everything I brought you here to reveal? Just about all of it was made up."

Sparky's revelation seemed to hit Snow like a sucker punch to her gut, but only for a brief moment. Snow took it in stride and instantly straightened, trying to shift into a more stoic position despite the fact that her vision was still blurry with tears.

"Why, Sparky?" she asked coolly. "I trusted you… why would you lie about something like this, and why do you want me gone?" Snow's voice and expression were as hard as ice as she met Sparky's gaze, who stared back with a feigned apathy that Jolt could tell was on the verge of breaking.

"Because… because of him," Sparky answered as she motioned towards Jolt. This seemed to unbalance Jolt, though after thinking it through for a moment Snow wasn't surprised. "I figured that without you and Midnight in the picture, he'd start spending more time with me."

"W-What? Why me?" Jolt finally asked, causing both of the females to shoot him a look that more or less asked him nonverbally how he could be so clueless. "I mean… I know that you and pretty much all of our friends have a thing for me," he quickly explained, trying to seem at least partially tactful. "But why? And why would you do something like this… for me?"

"I have the same wants and needs as everyone else, Jolt…" Sparky said quietly, looking away from him. "How do you think I felt when you, a male, a male _Jolteon_ showed up in my cave one night?"

"You're acting like you've never seen a boy before," Jolt shot back at her.

"Actually, no I haven't seen one. Not in the years it's been since I came up to this mountain," Sparky retorted, her voice rising slightly.

"There's a city full of them just down the slope," Jolt countered sarcastically, feeling slightly annoyed now, though he tightened his control over his emotions when he remembered feeling the same way the previous night when he lashed out at his friends. A pang of guilt rang through him when he remembered that he still hadn't apologized for attacking them, justified as it may have been.

"I haven't been down there since I was abandoned on this mountain, and you oughta know damn well why I don't want anything to do with humans!" Sparky suddenly shouted at Jolt, causing him to take a step backwards. The cracks in her calm façade were showing, despite Jolt not having meant to provoke her. Before he could apologize for it, she continued. "Seeing you was like… realizing there was a part to life that I was missing out on. I… I wanted you, Jolt. I wanted to know what it was about you that could affect someone like Midnight so much. I wanted to be around you, to feel you like she did." After saying that, Sparky's eyes looked sad in a way that gave Jolt pause, before they flashed with jealousy when she glanced at Snow. "But you never looked at me the same way I looked at you. When I saw how you looked at Snow, and Midnight, I… I couldn't help but just want that. I thought that maybe if they went away, you'd actually notice me for a change…"

"But I did notice you," Jolt replied quickly. "Just yesterday we spent the whole day together- "

"Because I asked you to, not because you really wanted to," Sparky interrupted, the truth of her words stabbing Jolt like daggers made of guilt. "Don't think I didn't pick up on how you hesitated to go at all. You looked like you were there out of an obligation- you really didn't want to spend time with me at all, did you?"

"Maybe if you weren't such a manipulative bitch, people would like you more," came Snow's sudden interjection, leaving both Jolteon's dumbstruck.

"Snow, what the-" Jolt began but was cut off by a shout from Sparky, followed by a blast and a howl from Snow. Before Jolt's eyes the two females devolved into a flurry of movement and parts of the chamber started exploding. Jolt watched as a stray blast of concentrated ice collided with a huge crystal formation, sending it hurtling to the floor where it shattered like a red wave crashing into a rock. A natural sculpture, possibly millions of years in the making, ruined because of a squabble over who he wanted to be with; for whatever reason Jolt found this equally hilarious and disturbing. Regardless, it was entirely unacceptable. As he stared at the fragmented crystal, Jolt felt the same anger as before rise within his chest. Rather than just talking about it, those he cared about were hurting each other because of him all over again.

"That's ENOUGH!" Jolt shouted at Snow and Sparky as he turned to face them again. The two were so consumed by their brawl that they either couldn't hear him or couldn't bring themselves to care enough to acknowledge his words, both of which only angered Jolt even more. He hadn't wanted to hurt his friends again, but enough was enough. Jolt wouldn't stand for the petty squabbling over him anymore. Once again utilizing his natural speed, he leapt in-between the two combatants when they were close enough to each other that he could reach both at the same time. Jolt threw an arm around both of their necks and pulled them both into tight headlocks with his arms, effectively ending the fight. Both Sparky and Snow began to struggle, but a warning shock from one arm was enough to silence Snow, while tightening his grip to the point where she struggled to breathe ended Sparky's resistance.

Jolt laid on the cave floor with them for a long while before eventually letting them out of his grasp. Neither bothered to even move; instead, the three Eevees remained where they were, chests heaving from exertion. Having stopped the fight and subdued his friends, Jolt finally reached his limit. Venturing down and up the mountain, trekking through a building blizzard and getting into two fights all without eating and with little rest had consumed everything he had to give. The last thing Jolt remembered as the darkness washed over him was the concerned faces of Sparky and Snow. Then, nothing.


	13. Chapter 13

A calm, cool draft wafted into the cave atop the mountain, making its way through the chamber until it finally came to a rest, finishing its journey by running through the Jolteon's soft fur. The silky yellow pelt swayed and bobbed in the gentle air, rousing him, though not unkindly. Jolt slowly opened his eyes and just stared forward for a moment while his senses returned to him. At first, all his blurry vision could make out was the pale blue mass in front of him. As Jolt recovered from his stupor, the blue slowly dissolved into Snow's peaceful face. The Glaceon's eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and deep, suggesting a comfortable slumber. Jolt just stared at her for a while, taking her in and etching every detail of that beautiful face into his memory. For the first time, he really allowed himself to appreciate Snow. Since coming to terms with his feelings for her and hers for him, he let himself stare for longer than he would've before, and allowed himself thoughts that he wouldn't if she were just a friend.

The warm pleasantness of Jolt's icy love interest was offset by the painful slog that was movement. He tried to sit up, but his muscles absolutely refused to work. Even moving his arms and rolling onto his back was a struggle as his body fought him every inch of the way. Jolt figured that this was probably to be expected after running himself to the point of passing out, but that did little to comfort him. After finally managing to roll, a dry crunch alerted Jolt to the leaves that covered his body. The Jolteon stared at them, his still dulled brain attempting to peace together why he was covered in leaves when he was in a cave on top of an icy mountain. When his mind returned with no answers, Jolt found himself overcome with another wave of fatigue and was too tired to care. He stole one last glance at that beautiful Glaceon before closing his eyes once more, drifting off as he felt vaguely aware of Snow's presence next to him.

When Jolt awoke next, it was far less pleasant than before. Before his senses had even returned to him, he was aware of a crushing thirst that consumed his body. His throat was bone dry and he felt shriveled up, as if he'd been sleeping in the middle of a vast desert. When Jolt finally opened his eyes, a small bowl of clear water and a small pile of energizing berries nearly brought tears to them. As quickly as he could he sat up and grabbed the dish, ignoring the protests from his muscles, and drank the bowl's entire contents in a matter of seconds, ignoring the streams of cold water that leaked unceremoniously down his face and into his neck fluff. The relief was instantaneous; it was a rainstorm washing through a forest after a drought. Next, Jolt began shoveling the food into his mouth, not stopping to savor the taste and barely aware of the tart fruit after it passed his lips.

After drinking and eating, Jolt felt far better than he had when he had awoken, and slumped back down onto his soft bedding, satisfied. However, upon doing so, he brushed up against something soft, which caused him to flinch painfully and look to his side. He was greeted with Snow's gaze, which was equal parts disgusted and impressed. For a tense moment, either of them moved. Jolt didn't even break eye contact as he slowly lifted an arm to his face and wiped the streaks of water and bits of berries from it. A painfully awkward moment followed as he stared at her while his arm inched by his mouth until it was finally clean while his crush just stared back. Briefly, he considered feigning passing out, and was tempted to try it before Snow finally broke the silence.

"Uhh… G-Glad to see you're awake, Jolt…" she said slowly, looking away from him. "We left you some food and water, which I guess you know already…"

Jolt further considered his options as he sat upright, which was far more painful without the incentive of food to spur on the movement. He leaned against one of the room's stone walls as to not have to use any effort to remain upright and met Snow's gaze again.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked slowly, deciding to pretend the scene that had just played out hadn't really just happened. "And what happened after I went down?"

Snow was all too happy to pretend she hadn't just witnessed her future mate eating like a Snorelax, though given the circumstances, she couldn't really blame him. "Yeah, everyone's okay," she began, bringing an audible sigh of relief from the Jolteon. "It was rough, but Sparky led the way back here and I carried you… I don't think either of us would've made it back with you alone, but we haven't really seen Sparky come out in a while."

"How long is a while?" Jolt asked.

"Since we got back and explained what happened… you've been out for about three days, Jolt."

The Jolteon just nodded, not very surprised. He'd pushed his body beyond its limit and it was a wonder he hadn't suffered any worse repercussions. Trying to rotate his body however reminded him that his body's punishment was still severe. Jolt returned his attention to Snow as he watched her slowly rise to her feet and make towards the exit.

"I'm gonna go tell everyone you're awake," she explained as she crossed the threshold into the hallway. Then, her expression darkened somewhat as she continued, "Oh, and Midnight wanted to talk with you, too." With that, she disappeared from sight, leaving Jolt alone in the room with his thoughts.

With a few minutes to himself, he went over everything that had happened in his head. Jolt thought about what to say to everyone, especially since he had still yet to apologize for blasting them all with a discharge. Jolt thought about how he could face Sparky after what she'd done and given her feelings for him. Jolt wasn't sure if he was angry with the other Jolteon or not; he really just felt bad about the entire situation. Jolt thought about Ruby, who had seemed to be avoiding him ever since the night he'd spent with her and Midnight. She hadn't spoken to him more than a sentence at a time since then, though he always caught her staring at him whenever he was in the room. A cold shiver ran up his spine as he recalled the possibility that his egg was currently growing inside her body, but he tried to suppress that fear as much as he could. Finally, Jolt thought about his feelings both for Snow and Midnight. Being honest with himself, he was in love with both of them. Jolt admired Midnight for her brash personality and her strength, both internally and externally. He related to her personality, and technically, being his first, she was his mate. Though he was still unsure if he regretted that night or not, it had happened regardless, and it was a part of him that he could never have back. Alternatively, he also adored Snow for her caring and compassionate personality. Recent events had shown Jolt her inner strength as she stood up to their friends, as well as her physical strength when she recued him. As Midnight had been his first mate, Snow had been his first real friend in a long time, as he'd more or less been alone since even before his trainer had abandoned him. The knowledge that he might have to choose between the two of them soon caused a thick knot to form in his chest because he really didn't know who he loved more. He didn't want to see either of them hurting as they were both his closest friends now, but that might be unavoidable.

Jolt neatly packed all these thoughts and emotions away into the back of his consciousness when he heard the footsteps of the cave's other inhabitants approaching his room. One by one his friends quietly filed inside and stood around him, some awkwardly, some relieved. Jolt looked at the group, deciding how best to proceed, but ironically it was Ruby who spoke first.

"Jolt," she addressed him, her voice soft but warm. "We… We all wanted to apologize for how we've acted towards you. We've been talking about it and it never should've escalated to the point that it did." As she spoke, the other Eeveelutions nodded their heads in agreement, looks of sadness and guilt plastered across their faces.

"You guys…" Jolt started, taken aback by their sudden apology. "I-I'm sorry too. Sorry for how I lashed out, and…" he turned to look at Snow and Sparky, "I'm sorry I had to hurt you. You guys have made these past months some of the best times of my life. Really, you're all my best friends. I hope nothing changes that…"

The room was quiet until Flame, overcome by a sudden burst of emotion, leaped forward and hugged Jolt hard. The contact was painful for him, but he didn't protest, and one by one everyone followed suit until each of the room's inhabitants formed a warm, teary group hug. Jolt was overcome with more emotion than anyone else; having gone knowing nothing but boredom and loneliness on the cold streets to this warm love from his friends was overwhelming.

It wasn't until late into the night that the group dispersed into their own rooms. They had spent the day talking, eating, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company. Eventually though, the room was empty save for Jolt and Midnight, the latter of whom was currently heading towards the exit.

"Hey, Midnight?" Jolt called to her quietly, making her pause. "Snow said earlier that you wanted to talk to me?"

Midnight just stood still, facing out into the hall away from him. "Jolt…" she said, her voice unusually tender. She paused again and looked like she was debating whether or not to say something, until at last she just sighed and glanced back at him. "I want you to run away with me."

Then she left, leaving the stunned Jolteon alone in his room, his body frozen far worse than it had been moments before.


	14. Chapter 14

The wind buffeted the Jolteon as he trudged through the deep snow, the painfully cold powder rising up into his chest with every step he took. The wind felt like razors slicing his body to ribbons; the flecks of ice and snow were tiny daggers digging into his flesh. Still, without any other option he trudged forward towards the growing speck of orange amid the dark hell of white snow. As it had many times before, the promise of salvation fueled the electric Eevee's body when strength had long left him. This Jolteon, with little much else in the way of purpose, made survival his only goal; be it 100 feet or 10 miles, he was making it to what he knew had to be a fire.

Jolt stared out into the darkness as it swirled with flecks of white snow. The big fire he laid next to was his shield against the cold of this mountain that had nearly claimed his life twice now. Despite having been well-fed and spending the day resting, Jolt's body had demanded even more nourishment, and under the pretense that he would work extra hard to replace everything he took, he had decided to indulge himself. It was for his health, he had reasoned. Also, he knew Flame wouldn't mind having him help her gather more food when he recovered. Picking up another Oran berry, Jolt closed his eyes and savored the tart, energizing juices as the pulp tickled his mouth and slid down his throat. When he opened his eyes though, before him stood another half-dead frozen Jolteon.

Jolt's first thought was to wonder how he was staring at a reflection of himself from the past.

Jolt's second thought was the realization that even on the verge of collapse this stranger could probably take him down.

Jolt jumped to his feet as quickly as he could, masking how painful the action was by immediately dropping into a fighting stance. Alerting the others to the intruder's presence would probably get him attacked, which could leave him dead before anyone made it into the central chamber. Jolt may have been more than willing to lay down his life for his friends and those he loved, but there was still the possibility that everyone could make it out of this alive. It helped to ease Jolt somewhat when the foreign Jolteon looked scared as he dropped into stance, but neither moved forward, nor backed away.

A tense moment of silence followed as the two stared each other down, which was broken when the intruder suddenly staggered to the side and began coughing. This would've been the perfect time to strike, but Jolt really wasn't interested in a fight, regardless of the condition he was in. He relaxed his body and stood up straight as the stranger recovered from his coughing fit. Still on guard, Jolt cautiously rolled an Oran berry by his feet towards the other Jolteon.

"Thank the Gods," the stranger whispered, his voice quiet and hoarse, before scarfing the berry down, even with the pit and stem still attached.

Daring to hope a fight may have been avoided, Jolt slowly rolled another, and another, each of which were gratefully devoured by the starving visitor. When the snow had melted off of him and some color had returned to his face, the other Jolteon slowly inched his way farther into the cave and sat down opposite of Jolt, who did the same. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke.

"Thank you. I don't think I would've lasted much longer if you'd turned me away right then."

Jolt nodded, recalling the all too familiar memories of slogging up the icy mountain with nothing in his stomach.

"My name is Paralysis, but you can call me Para," the stranger continued.

"I'm Jolt," the cave's inhabitant replied with a small but friendly smile, meeting the other's gaze. In return, Para smiled too, and the two Jolteons shared a good bonding moment, which was very rudely interrupted by Midnight, who had entered the central chamber when she heard Jolt's voice and had begun shouting expletives upon seeing two Jolteons rather than the standard one. Needless to say, Jolt wouldn't have to wait until morning to introduce Para to the others.

The following morning, Jolt awoke to Snow's soft breathing next to him. After being awoken to Midnight's colorful vocabulary, she had decided to bed down with him again, something Jolt secretly hoped would become a regular thing. The Jolteon carefully got to his feet, making as little noise as possible to avoid waking the sleeping ice-type. His body gave him minimal backlash as he stood and made his way into the central chamber, a good sign that put him in high spirits. The scene there was just about exactly what he had expected to find; Para sat in the middle of a ring made by the cave's other inhabitants. Rather than say anything, he just slipped past and out into the snow, grateful that someone else was there to soak up all that attention. While Jolt loved all of his friends, some time to be alone was a rare luxury that Para had just bought him plenty of.

A calm cold breeze ruffled through Jolt's spiky pelt as he made his way down the mountain to where a stream of thawed snow flowed and turned into a river. The water was cold, but he really needed a bath. After getting into a fight, pushing himself to the edge and then several days of resting and eating, grooming himself just wouldn't cut it. The icy water stung his paw for just a moment before he dived in, dousing himself and letting the current wash away all of the dirt, blood and grime that had been accumulating deep within his fur. The temperature didn't bother him as much as he had expected it to, suggesting that his body had adapted well to the harsh climate he now lived in. As Jolt splashed around in the water to wash out every inch of his body, he briefly entertained the thought of adapting to the mountain to the point of turning into a Glaceon like Snow. The thought of her and Midnight's faces made him laugh to himself.

Jolt soaked in the icy river for longer than he thought he could, relishing the fact that he was on no one's time but his own. After he'd finished, he made his way to one of the spots where Sitrus berries grew and picked himself a nice lunch of five of them. Using several small branches and twigs he'd collected, he lit a fire with a thunderbolt and roasted the berries right there, smoking and cooking his food while warming and drying the deeper parts of his fur that took longer to air out. The cooked berries had a firmer texture and a sweeter pulp, making Jolt smile as he felt the warm liquid running down his throat after each bite he took. One by one the food was roasted and devoured until at last the only thing left by the fire was one full and happy Jolteon. Overhead the sun was starting its dip back behind the mountain. It wasn't quite evening yet, but Jolt was surprised he'd let most of the day slip by without even noticing.

The sky was a deep orange when the Jolteon finally stepped back into the cave and shook the snow from his body. The entrance was bare, save for Midnight who perked up when she saw him and made her way over. She looked nervous, which made a pit begin to form in Jolt's stomach when he guessed at why that was.

"So… when will you be good to go?" she asked him in a hushed tone, though she couldn't meet his gaze.

That pit only grew as Jolt had his suspicions confirmed. Several times that day he'd thought of her offer, remembering the hopeful, almost pleading look she wore when she asked him to run away with her. The memory only served to deepen the pang of guilt that stabbed into his heart when he turned his head away and muttered a quiet "you know I can't do that…"

"Why not?" Midnight asked without so much as skipping a beat, as if she'd been expecting that answer. "It's because of _her,_ isn't it?"

"Its because of everyone in this cave," Jolt quickly responded, not wanting Snow to be targeted by Midnight again. "…including you. You're all my family now, I can't just up and leave."

The Umbreon bit her lip angrily. "I thought you said you loved me, Jolt. We're a mated pair, but how can we be together when everyone else wants you too?" That last line was dry and bitter, and the verbal missile had its intended effect of throwing Jolt off.

There was a brief pause in the conversation. Jolt stung from Midnight's words and wracked his brain for a response, but nothing meaningful came. "Midnight, I… I do love you. You're honestly one of my closest friends, Id do anything for you… but we can't just get up and leave. Everyone else here is… family. I can't give that up."

"Y-You're lying," Midnight growled, sounding as if she was barely keeping her composure. A knot formed in Jolt's throat when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes, but she pressed on. "If I really m-meant all that to you, if what we did together r-really meant something, we'd already be gone by now."

Midnight was staring daggers into Jolt's eyes now, and her voice held a venom that paralyzed him. His body tensed up and he felt powerless against the wave of sadness and anger Midnight threw at him. His guilt from what had happened that night and the feelings he had for her seized him and took control, opening his core wide for the Umbreon to drive that spear of anger and hurt he'd made for her right back into it. Jolt saw his own vision begin to blur around the edges as he was barely able to choke out "N-No, that's n-not-"

And all at once, it was over. Midnight turned away sharply, leaving the defeated Jolteon to fall over and slump down against a wall, overcome with emotion. "If that's the way it is, Jolt, then so be it," she said, her voice suddenly composed and ice cold. "If my feelings don't mean anything to you, then I won't waste my time. I'll bet Para will know how to actually appreciate them."

Jolt watched her walk back into the darkness of the inner chambers of the cave, paralyzed and unable to look away. It may have been a few minutes before he was able to stand again, or it may have been an hour. The knowledge that one of his two best friends, his technical mate and one of two beings he loved more than his own life, now hated him for all of those same things. Jolt's sobbing was quiet and small, and not even Snow's soothing presence sometime later could make a dent in the negativity that surrounded him. It was a very long time before he found sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Jolt knew he was only encouraging Midnight by giving her what she wanted, but he couldn't help it; the dark form of the Umbreon melting into the strong, yet comforting form of the Jolteon enraged him. Jolt felt his body burn as he watched Midnight "trip" and collide with Para for the fourth time in as many days, yet he couldn't look away. He watched as her thick, bushy tail swept out and around the other Jolteon, how her ears folded back as she looked up at him with her big ruby eyes. Jolt tried to pretend that he couldn't feel her satisfied glare drilling into his back when he turned away sharply and stormed off. That brief moment of eye contact stung him, but that pain was nothing compared to how much his heart stung in his chest.

Jolt found himself retreating to his room more often than ever before; either hiding in his chamber or escaping to the outside, spending more than a few seconds in the hallways would likely result in more of Midnight's torture. Currently, he laid down with his head in his paws, a dark blanket of his own negativity threatening to smother him soon. He was angry at the Umbreon for first putting him in the situation where she knew he would end up hurting her, and then taking hid refusal as a personal betrayal. He was angry at her for not only using someone to get back at him, but also ruining any potential kinship Jolt might have shared with the only other Male he'd met in almost a year. But more than that, Jolt was mad at himself for letting her win. Even if he acted like he was refusing to play her game, every retreat was a victory for Midnight, and she knew she was getting to him. Most importantly, Jolt was mad at himself for still loving her enough to be hurt by it.

With the friendship that he'd grown to cherish with her all but completely destroyed, Jolt wanted nothing more than to sever any bonds or feelings between the two and let her finish her games by herself, but he just couldn't. He watched as a single tear rolled down his cheek and splattered onto the cold stone floor, wondering if it was made of anger, sadness, or hurt this time. Perhaps it was just his frustration at the injustice of it all; two weeks ago, Jolt's life had been paradise. He'd been eating regularly, warmed by constant fire with a roof over his head, and been surrounded by the feeling of warmth and love from those he'd come to call his family. Before this cave, he hadn't even remembered what the love of a family was like, or been sure if he'd ever felt it before. Now though, the walls of the cave that had given him everything had become his prison cell. Cold, unforgiving, as if that warm fire had just gone out. Even though everyone had reconciled, things felt different; the air had become tense, at least wherever he went. He hadn't talked to anyone in what felt like days, but the thought of even wandering into someone else's room felt wrong now.

"Hey…"

The word was soft, nearly a whisper, but it scattered the spinning pit of emotion that Jolt had been sinking into. He turned around to see Snow looking back at him. She looked like she was about to ask if she could come in, but seeing Jolt's wet cheeks and puffy eyes granted her permission whether he would've or not. The Glaceon made no noise as she made her way over to him, her movements effortlessly graceful. Neither said anything; Snow just sat down next to Jolt and pushed her body against his. Even being an ice-type, the warmth of another was like a fiery inferno for the Jolteon. The flames burned away the blanket of negativity covering him and replaced it with the warmth of the blue arm Jolt felt across his back. Momentarily free from the depression that had wormed its way into him, Jolt took inventory of himself. Really thinking about it, Jolt was shocked at how easily and willingly Snow had filled the hole Midnight had put in his heart.

"I don't… I don't deserve you…" Jolt said quietly, his voice muffled by being buried in his paws. "I wasn't able to give all of myself to you when you wanted it, but here you are anyway…"

"Dude… shut up," came Snow's quick reply, which threw Jolt off entirely.

He pulled his head from his paws and looked at her to see an odd mix of sadness, love and annoyance on her face.

"I'm not sure what you've been led to believe about love," she continued, "but for me at least, it doesn't stop because you're not giving me what I want, when I want it."

"But I couldn't commit to you!" Jolt suddenly countered as he became more indignant with himself. "I don't get how you can even bring yourself to sit here when I wasn't giving you anything."

Snow surprised Jolt yet again when her expression just softened and she looked away. "You gave me your time and your ears whenever I asked from them, Jolt. My feelings for you aren't measured by your utility to me, because that would just be me taking advantage of you. And, even if they were… I haven't forgotten how you saved my life the night we met."

Jolt allowed himself a small smile as he remembered seeing her walking out of the operating room in the Pokémon center down in the city below. While less than a year had passed since this had happened, it felt like so long ago. Like water seeping through a cracked cup, Jolt felt the despair steadily ebb out of him, allowing him to finally let go of the feelings he'd been holding on to. When the leak stopped, the only feeling left inside him was the warmth that Snow had put in him, stubbornly refusing to leak out. Jolt's smile widened. Everything was clear now.

"…Snow?"

"Yeah, Jolt?"

"I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything else than this."

"W-What?"

"I love you, Snow."

Jolt might have taken some small measure of satisfaction in Midnight's obvious frustration if he hadn't been so fixated on Snow. He failed to notice the look of despair on her face when she realized what had happened, as well as the deadly glares she was shooting the two of them. Presently, nothing was more important to Jolt than the Glaceon that had pulled him out of the depths of his own depression. He was so oblivious to the outside world in fact, that he was caught completely off guard when he discovered all of the cave's inhabitants had suddenly gathered in the central chamber. As Jolt looked around at all of their faces, the surprise and worry broke his love-induced trance. He watched as one by one, Sparky hugged each of the other Eeveelutions, and found tears streaming down her cheeks when she finally made her way over to him.

"Sparky? W-What's going on?" Jolt asked, confused and with a twinge of fear in his voice.

"It started with you, really…" the female Jolteon began, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "First you, then Para… I just… I-I realized, looking at you both, that…" Sparky looked down, showing off a mix of emotion that was difficult for Jolt to read. "I… I'm lonely…" she finally choked out, seeming equal parts sad and embarrassed about her confession. "I'm leaving the cave, I just… w-want to have what you guys have, for myself…" Then, Sparky moved on, leaving Jolt standing there, dumbstruck. "I, uh… I know we've had our differences before, but…" Sparky fumbled around for the words to say as she stood before Snow. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, for what happened," she finally said. Turning to glance at Jolt, she added "…a-and take care of him. Please…"

With that, Sparky turned and walked out of the chamber. With one paw in the snow, she hesitated, but never turned around. "You all… are, and will always be… my family. I-I… love you guys…" Sparky's voice and her composure finally broke as she uttered that last sentence, and with that, she was gone. The murky blackness of early night swallowed her yellow pelt whole as her final words rang over and over in his head. All Jolt could do was watch as one piece of the family he'd wanted so desperately broke off and fell away into that darkness.


End file.
